the book of protection (.pdf)

E-mail: [email protected] site: www.buddhanet.net

Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.

The Bookof Protection

Venerable Piyadassi, Thera

http://www.buddhanet.net

http://www.buddhanet.net/email.htm

2

The Book of ProtectionPiyadassi Thera

For free distribution only.

You may reprint this work

for free distribution.

You may re-format and redistribute this work for use on computersand computer networks provided that you

charge no fees for its distribution or use.

Otherwise, all rights reserved.

Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1999).

Copyright © 1999 Buddhist Publication Society.

This PDF version is designed to be printed ‘2 up’i.e. 2 pages on Landscape oriented A4 page.

3

‘May peace harmonious bless this land;

May it be ever free from maladies and war;

May there be harvest rich, and increased yield of grain;

May everyone delight in righteousness;

May no perverted thought find entry to your minds;

May all your thoughts e’er pious be and lead

to your success religiously.’

Tibetan Great Yogi — Milerepa

Most gratefully and most devotedly

dedicated to my departed parents

(‘

… M

āt

āpitaro pubb

ācariy

āti vuccare’)

Anguttara Nikāya, ii. p. 70

4

The Book of ProtectionPARITTA

Translated from the original Pali

With introductory essay

and explanatory notes

Piyadassi Thera

With a Foreword by

V.F.Gunaratna

(Retired Public Trustee of Sri Lanka)

Buddhist Publication Society

P.O. Box 61 Kandy Sri Lanka

5

ContentsPreface

8

Foreword 11

The Value of Paritta 14

The Book of Protection 22

Invitation (

ārādhanā) 26

i. Going for Refuge (

sara!agamana) 27

ii. The Ten Training Precepts (

dasa sikkhāpada) 28

iii. Questions to be Answered by a Novice (

sāma!era pañha) 29

iv. The Thirty two Parts of the Body (

dvatti%sākāra) 30

v. The Four-fold Reflection of a Monk (

paccavekkha!ā) 30

Discourses (suttas)1. Discourse on the Ten Dhammas (

dasadhamma sutta) 32

2. Discourse on Blessings (

ma)gala sutta) 34

3. The Jewel Discourse (

ratana sutta) 36

4. Discourse on Loving-kindness (

metta sutta) 41

5. Protection of the Aggregates (

khandha paritta) 43

6. Discourse on Advantages of Loving-kindness (

mettānisa%sa) 45

7. The Advantages of Friendship (

mittānisa%sa) 46

8. The Peacock’s Prayer for Protection (

mora paritta) 48

9. The Moon Deity’s Prayer for Protection (

canda paritta) 49

10. The Sun Deity’s Prayer for Protection (

suriya paritta) 51

11. Banner of Protection (

dhajagga paritta) 52

6

12. Factors of Enlightenment (

Mahā Kassapa Thera

bhojjhanga) 56


Mahā Moggallana Thera

bhojjhanga) 59


Mahā Cunda Thera

bhojjhanga) 59

15. Discourse to Girim

ānanda Thera (

Girimānanda sutta) 62

16. Discourse at Isigili (

isigili sutta) 69

17. Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth (

dhammacakkappavattana sutta) 74

18. The Great Assembly (

mahā-samaya sutta) 80

19. Discourse to

Ālavaka (

Ālavaka sutta) 91

20. Discourse to Bh

āradv

āja, the farmer (

Kasībhāradvāja

sutta) 95

21. Discourse on Downfall (

parābhava sutta)

99

22. Discourse on Outcasts (

vasala sutta) 103

23. Discourse on the Analysis of the Truths (

saccavibhanga

sutta) 108

24. Discourse on

Ā�ān

ā�iya (

ā0ānā0iya sutta) 116

AppendixInvitations —

(in Sinhala script) 127Protective Discourse to Angulimala 128Invitation to Deities 129

Notes 134Abbreviations 136Bhojjhanga paritta —

(in Sinhala script) 137An Abridged Version of the Bojjhanga Sutta 138

7

‘Be loving and be pitiful

And well controlled in virtue’s ways,

Strenuous bent upon the goal,

And onward ever bravely press.

That danger does in dalliance lie —

That earnestness is sure and safe —

This when you see, then cultivate

The Eight-fold Path so shall ye realize,

So make your own, the Deathless Way.’

Psalms of the Brethren, 979, 980

8

Preface

The Book of Protection which is an anthology of selected discoursesof the Buddha compiled by the teachers of old, was originally meantas a handbook for the newly ordained novice. The idea was that thosenovices who are not capable of studying large portions of the‘Discourse Collection’ (

sutta pitaka) should at least be conversantwith the Book of Protection. Even today it is so. The twenty fourdiscourses are selected from the five

Nikayas or the originalCollections in Pali containing the Buddha’s discourses. The fact thatthe book was meant for the novice is clear from the prefatoryparagraphs that precede the discourses.

The precepts are ten, and not five which are the basic principles of thelay follower. The novice is expected to observe the ten precepts. Thisis followed by the ‘Questions to be Answered by a Novice’ and the‘Thirty Two Parts of the Body’ which is really a type of meditation onthe constituent parts of one’s body. Then comes the ‘Four-foldreflection of a Monk’, and finally the ‘Ten Essentials (Dhammas)’ tobe reflected upon by one who has gone forth to live the holy life. Thediscourses come next. If one patiently and painstakingly studies thesediscourses, he could gather a good knowledge of the essentials andfundamental teachings of the Buddha.

9

The

Mahā-samaya sutta and the

Ā0ānā0iya sutta ending the book mayappear to some as pointless, but a careful reader will no doubtappreciate their relevance. In the essay on the

Value of Paritta anattempt is made to show what paritta means to a Buddhist.

I have endeavored to keep as close as possible to the original wordingof the text without making it too literal a translation on the one hand,and a word for word translation on the other, and have avoidedtranslating the Pali stanzas into verse (except the stanzas of discoursesNo. 5, 11, 19) in order to give a very faithful, easy and readablerendering. I have preserved the synonymous words and repetitionsfound in the suttas since they are the

ipsissima verba of the Buddhahanded down to us through oral tradition.

In all the suttas the word ‘Bhagava’, the Blessed One’, an epithet ofthe Buddha, is frequently used. To avoid using the same word toooften in the translation, I have, at times, used the word ‘the Buddha’for ‘Bhagava’ or a personal pronoun to denote him.

The Pali words and names included in this work are lacking indiacritical marks. In some places however, the smaller type with suchmarks are used. But students of Pali may not find any difficulty inpronouncing them. The reader may refer to the

Khandha-vatta Jataka(No. 203) when studying the

Khandha Paritta.

The

Angulimala Paritta is a short discourse that does not appear in theBook of Protection (Paritta text), but as it is a paritta made use of byexpectant mothers in Buddhist lands, I have included it in theAppendix. Other Pali stanzas, used by the Buddhists when reciting theParittas, are also included in the Appendix with their Englishrenderings.

10

I am indebted beyond measure to Mr. V. F. Gunaratna, retired publictrustee of Sri Lanka, for his painstaking reading of the script, hiscareful and valuable suggestions, and for writing the Foreword. TheVen. Kheminda Maha Thera assisted me in finding the references, theVen. Siridhamma Thera in reading the proofs, and Mr. K. G.Abeysinghe in typing the script. I am grateful to them. To Miss K.Jayawardana of Union printing Works and her staff who took a keeninterest in the printing of this work, I am thankful. Last, but far fromleast, my thanks are due to Messrs D. Munidase and U. P. de Zoysafor all the help they have given me.

Piyadassi

Ves

ākha-m

āse, 2519: May 1975

Vajir

ār

āma,

Colombo 5,

Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

11

Foreword

By V. F. Gunaratna

The world of English Buddhist literature has been enriched by thepublication of this book entitled ‘

The Book of Protection’. This is atranslation by the Ven. Piyadassi Maha Thera of what is well knownto every Sinhala Buddhist home as the ‘

Pirit Potha’ which means thebook of protection. It contains a collection of

suttas or discoursestaken from the teaching of the Buddha and are meant to be recited intemples and homes for the purpose of obtaining protection from allharm. This is achieved by recalling with

saddha or confidence thevirtues of the

Buddha,

Dhamma and

Sangha referred to in thesediscourses. There are many who listen to the recitation of thesediscourses but who hardly understand the import of these discoursesand therefore any benefit they may gain must be necessarily slight.This translation, therefore, supplies a long-felt need as it will helpsuch persons to listen with understanding when

pirith is being recited.The venerable translator is therefore to be congratulated as being thefirst to translate a book of this nature.

To translate a book is not so easy as to write a book. The work oftranslation calls for precision and concentrated thought. A translationthat keeps too close to the original is apt to suffer from a failure toconvey the spirit underlying the original text.

12

At the same time a translation that is too free runs the risk ofexpressing more than the author of the original composition hadintended and thereby misrepresents him. The venerable translator hascertainly done well by steering clear between these two extremes andtherefore deserves special praise.

Further more, he has by the manner of his translation made it evidentthat he has been at pains to facilitate the purpose for which

pirith isrecited. By means of explanations in parenthesis and helpful footnotes he has striven to elucidate the meaning of words and phraseswhere their full significance appears to be obscure. If a furtherclarification is needed the reader is invited to refer to Ven. PiyadassiMaha Thera’s book ‘

The Buddha’

s Ancient Path’

1 which deals withquite a number of points concerning the

Buddha-dhamma.

There can be no doubt that this translation of the ‘

Pirith Potha’ by onesuch as the Ven. Piyadassi Maha Thera — a reputed author of severalBuddhist books and a preacher whose sermons have gained greatacceptance both in the East and the West — will be hailed withdelight by those who desire to obtain a full understanding of the

piriththat is recited in temples and homes — sometimes with marvelouseffect.

1 The Buddhist Publication Society, P.O. Box 61, Kandy, Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

13

‘

Hitānukampī sambuddho-yadaññamanusāsati

Anurodha virodhehi-vippamutto Tathāgato’

Love and compassion does the Enlightened feel

Towards another when he instructs him

The Tathagata is fully released

From attachment and resentment.

Samyutta Nikāya i. p. iii.

14

The Value Of Paritta

‘Recent research in medicine, in experimental psychology and what isstill called parapsychology has thrown some light on the nature ofmind and its position in the world. During the last forty years theconviction has steadily grown among medical men that very manycauses of diseases organic as well as functional, are directly caused bymental states. The body becomes ill because the mind controlling iteither secretly wants to make it ill, or else because it is in such a stateof agitation that it cannot prevent the body from sickening. Whateverits physical nature, resistance to disease is unquestionably correlatedwith the physiological condition of the patient.’

1

‘Mind not only makes sick, it also cures. An optimistic patient hasmore chance of getting well than a patient who is worried andunhappy. The recorded instances of faith healing includes cases inwhich even organic diseases were cured almost instantaneously.’

2

In this connection it is interesting to observe the prevalence, inBuddhist lands, of listening to the recital of the

dhamma or thedoctrine of the Buddha in order to avert illness or danger, to ward offthe influence of malignant beings, to obtain protection and deliverancefrom evil, and to promote health, prosperity, welfare and well-being.

15

The selected discourses for recital are known as ‘

paritta suttas’,discourses for protection. But they are not ‘

rakshana mantras’ orprotective incantations found in Brahmanic religion, nor are theymagical rites. There is nothing mystical in them.

‘

Paritta’

in Pali, ‘

paritrana’ in Sanskrit and ‘

pirit’ (pronounced pirith)in Sinhala

3 mean principally protection. Paritta suttas describe certainsuttas or discourses delivered by the Buddha and regarded as affordingprotection. This protection is to be obtained by reciting or listening tothe

paritta suttas. The practice of reciting or listening to the

paritta

suttas began very early in the history of Buddhism. The word

paritta,in this context, was used by the Buddha, for the first time, in adiscourse known as ‘

khandha paritta’

4 in the

Culla Vagga of the

Vinaya Pitaka (vol. ii, p. 109), and also in the

Anguttara Nikaya underthe title ‘

Ahi (metta) Sutta’ (vol. ii, p. 82). This discourse wasrecommended by the Buddha as guard or protection for the use of themembers of the Order. The Buddha in this discourse exhorts themonks to cultivate

metta or loving-kindness towards all beings.

It is certain that paritta recital produces mental well-being in thosewho listen to them with intelligence, and have confidence in the truthof the Buddha’s words. Such mental well being can help those whoare ill to recover, and can also help not only to induce the mentalattitude that brings happiness but also to overcome its opposite.Originally, in India, those who listened to paritta sayings of theBuddha understood what was recited and the effect on them wascorrespondingly great. The Buddha himself had paritta recited to him,and he also requested others to recite paritta for his own discipleswhen they were ill.

5 This practice is still in vogue in Buddhist lands.

16

The Buddha and the Arahants (the Consummate Ones) canconcentrate on the

paritta suttas without the aid of another. However,when they are ill, it is easier for them to listen to what others recite,and thus focus their minds on the dhamma that the suttas contain,rather than think of the dhamma by themselves. There are occasions,as in the case of illness, which weaken the mind (in the case ofworldlings), when hetero-suggestion has been found to be moreeffective than autosuggestion.

According to the teachings of the Buddha the mind is so closely linkedwith the body that mental states affect the body’s health and wellbeing. Some doctors even say there is no such thing as purely physicaldisease. ‘That even so grossly “physical” a complaint as dental cariesmay be due to mental causes was maintained in a paper read beforethe American Dental Congress in 1937. The author pointed out thatchildren living on a perfectly satisfactory diet may still suffer dentaldecay. In such cases, investigation generally shows that the child’s lifeat home or at school is in some way unsatisfactory. The teeth decaybecause their owner is under mental strain.’

6 Unless, according to theBuddhist doctrine of

kamma (Sanskrit

karma),

7 these bad mental statesare caused as a result of one’s own acts (

akusala kamma-vipaka), andare therefore unalterable, it is possible so to change these mental statesas to cause mental health and physical well-being to follow thereafter.

17

1. The Power of Truth

Several factors combine to contribute towards the efficacy of parittarecitals. Paritta recital is a form of

saccakiriya, i.e. an asseveration oftruth. Protection results by the power of such asseveration. This meansestablishing oneself in the power of truth to gain one’s end. At the endof the recital of each sutta, the reciters bless the listeners with thewords, ‘

etena sacca vajjena sotti te hotu sabbada’ which means ‘bythe power of the truth of these words may you ever be well.’ Thesaying, ‘the power of the dhamma or Truth protects the follower of thedhamma’ (

dhammo have rakkhati dhammcarin) indicates the principlebehind these sutta recitals.

‘The belief in the effective power to heal, or protect, of the

saccakiriya, or asseveration of something quite true, is but anotheraspect of the work ascribed to the paritta.’

8

2. The Power of Virtue

Several discourses of the Book of Protection describe the virtuous life.The starting point in Buddhism is

sila (virtue). Standing on the firmground of

sila one should endeavor to achieve a collected mind. If it istrue that virtue protects the virtuous, then a person who listens to therecital of paritta suttas intelligently, in a reflective mood, withcomplete confidence in the Buddha’s words, uttered by one who hasgained complete Enlightenment, will acquire so virtuous a state ofmind as would enable him to dominate any evil influence, and to beprotected from all harm.

18

3. The Power of Love

The utterances of the compassionate Buddha are never void of love.He walked the high-ways and by-ways of India enfolding all withinthe aura of his love and compassion, instructing, enlightening andgladdening the many by his teaching. The reciters of the paritta aretherefore expected to do so with a heart of love and compassionwishing the listeners and others weal and happiness and protectionfrom all harm.

Love (

metta) is an active force. Every act of one who truly loves isdone with the pure mind to help, to cheer and to make the paths ofothers more easy, more smooth and more adapted to the conquest ofsorrow, the winning of the Highest Bliss.

C. A. F. Rhys Davids commenting on amity (metta) writes: ‘Theprofession of amity, according to Buddhist doctrine, was no merematter of pretty speech. It was to accompany and express a psychicsuffusion of the hostile man or beast or spirit with benign, fraternalemotion — with metta. For strong was the conviction, from

Sutta and

Vinaya, to Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhi Magga,

9 that ‘thoughts arethings’, that psychical action, emotional or intellectual, is capable ofworking like a force among forces. Europe may yet come roundfurther to this Indian attitude.’

10

19

4. The Power of Sound

It is believed that the vibratory sounds produced by the sonorous andmellifluous recital of the paritta suttas in their Pali verses are soothingto the nerves and induce peace and calm of mind; they also bringabout harmony to the physical system.

How can bad influences springing from evil beings be counteracted byrecital of paritta suttas? Bad influences are the results of evil thinking.They can, therefore, be counteracted by wholesome states of mind.One sure way of inducing a wholesome state of mind is by listeningand reflecting on paritta recitals with intelligence and confidence. Sogreat is the power of concentration that by adverting whole-heartedlyto the truth contained in the paritta recitals one is able to develop awholesome state of mind.

The recital of paritta suttas can also bring material blessings in itswake through the wholesome states of mind induced by concentrationand confidence in listening intelligently to the recital. According tothe Buddha, right effort is a necessary factor in overcomingsuffering.

11 Listening to these recitals in the proper way can alsogenerate energy for the purpose of securing worldly progress while italso secures spiritual progress.

There is no better medicine than truth (dhamma) for the mental andphysical ills which are the causes of all suffering and misfortune. Sothe recital of paritta suttas in as much as they contain the dhamma,may, when they are listened to in the proper attitude, bring into beingwholesome states of mind which conduce to health, material progressand spiritual progress. The effect of Pirit can also transcend distancehowever great.

20

It is true that the Buddhists consider the parittas as a never-failing,potent and purifying force, a super-solvent. However, a question mayarise whether recitals from the Book of Protection will, in every case,result in the protection and blessing sought for. In this connection thesame reply given by the Venerable Nagasena to King Milinda’squestion why the recital of paritta does not in all cases protect onefrom death, is worth remembering: ‘Due to three causes recital ofparitta may have no effect: kamma hindrances (

Kammavarana);hindrances from defilements (

kilesavarana); lack of faith(

asaddhanataya).

12

Kamma means action and not the result of action; therefore action canbe counteracted by other action. Kamma is not something static, but isalways changing, i.e. always in the making; that being so, action canbe counteracted by other action. Hence bad actions on the part of thehearers of the recital may negative the beneficial effects of the recital.

If the mind of the hearer is contaminated with impure thoughts thenalso the intended beneficial effects of the recital may not materialize.But however impure the mind of the hearer may be if there is greatconfidence in the efficacy of the recital then this important factor mayhelp to secure for him the beneficial effects of the recital.

21

Notes:

1. For the physical basis of resistance, see

The Nature of Disease by J. E. R.

McDonagh, F. R. C. S.

2. Aldous Huxley.

Ends and Means (London, 1946), p. 259.

3. The state language of Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

4. See below, discourse no. 5.

5. See below

Bojjhanga and

Girimananda suttas, numbers 12, 13, 14 and 15.

6. Aldoux Huxley,

Ends and Means, London 1946, p. 259.

7. Karma in Buddhism means action brought about by volition.

8. C. A. F. Rhys Davids,

Dialogues of the Buddha, part 3, p. 186.

9. Chapter ix. p. 313. According to the

Sāsamalankāra quoted in Gray’s

Buddhaghosuppatti, p.15, Buddhaghosa was about to write a Commentary

on the

Paritta, when he was sent to greater work in Ceylon.

10.

Dialogues of the Buddha, part 3, p. 185.

11.

S., I. 214.

12.

Milinda Panha, vol. I., p. 216.

22

The Book Of Protection

This collection of paritta discourses, in Sinhala, ‘

The Pirit Potha’ isthe most widely known Pali book in Sri Lanka. It is called ‘

The

Buddhist Bible’; it is given an important place in the Buddhist home,and is even treated with veneration. In most houses where there is asmall shrine, this book is kept there so that the inmates may refer to itduring their devotional hour. Some have committed to memory thethree well known discourses —

Mangala, Ratana and Karaniya-metta

suttas.

1 Even children are familiar with these discourses; for they learnthem from their parents and elders or from the ‘dhamma school’.

The habit of listening to the recital of paritta suttas among theWesterners is growing slowly but steadily. The present writer, whileon his missions in the European and American countries, has, atrequest of several residents there, tape-recorded the recital of parittasuttas for their benefit, and has air-mailed cassettes containing thesutta recitals to those who sent him such cassettes.

Now what does this book contain? It is a collection of twenty foursuttas or discourses almost all delivered by the Buddha, and foundscattered in the five original collections (

nikāyas) in Pali, which formthe

Sutta Pitaka, the ‘Canonical Discourses’. These discourses arepreceded by an enunciation of the Three Refuges; the Ten Preceptsand the questions asked of a novice.

23

This collection of discourses, popularly known as ‘

Pirit Potha’ or TheBook of Protection, has a less known title, ‘

Catubhanavara’ (inSinhala

Satara Banavara). A 13

th century Commentary to this, writtenin Pali, by a pupil of the Venerable Rajaguru Vanaratana of Sri Lanka,is available under the title

Catubhanavara Atthakatha or

Sarattha

Samuccaya.

What is a

bhanavara? It is a collection of sermons or discourses. Foursuch collections are called ‘

Catubhanavara’. As the teachers of oldhave said, a three-word line (

pada) is made up of eight syllables (

attha

akkhara), four such

padas make a stanza or a

gatha. Thus stanzasconsists of thirty-two syllables. 250 such stanzas is called a

bhanavarawhich consists of 8,000 syllables. The Catunabhanavara was compiledby the Maha Theras, the teachers of yore (

paranakacariya), of SriLanka, and today it is known among the Buddhists of Sri Lanka as the‘

Pirit Potha’ The Book of Protection.

It is customary for Buddhist monks, when they are invited to thehomes of the laity on occasions of domestic importance, such as birthdays, house-warming, illness and similar events, to recite the threepopular discourses mentioned above. In the domestic and social life ofthe people of Sri Lanka pirit ceremony is of great significance. Nofestival or function, religious or social, is complete without the recitalof the paritta. On special occasions monks are invited to recite theparitta suttas not for short periods but right through the night or forthree or seven days, and at times, for weeks. On such occasions apavilion (

pirit mandapaya) is constructed for the purpose ofaccommodating the monks at the recital. Before the commencement ofthe recital the laity present at the ceremony makes a formal invitationto the monks by reciting in Pali three stanzas which explain the

24

purpose of the recital.

2 Then the monks, generally about twelve orfourteen, who have been invited, will recite the three popular suttas.Thereafter a pair of monks will commence reciting the remainingsuttas for two hours. They will then retire and will be followed byanother pair for another two hours. Two monks must be constantlyofficiating. In this manner the recital will last till dawn.

While the recital continues there will be found a pot of water placedon a table before the monks. On this table there is also a sacred thread(pirit nula). For an all night pirit ceremony the casket containing arelic of the Buddha, and the ‘

Pirit Potha’ or The Book of Protectionwritten on ola leaves, are also brought into the pavilion. The relicrepresents the

Buddha, the ‘Pirit Potha’ represents the

Dhamma or theteachings of the Buddha, and the reciting Bhikkhu-Sangha representthe

Ariya-Sangha, the Arahant disciples of the Buddha.

The thread is drawn round the interior of the pavilion, and its endtwisted round the casket, the neck of the pot of water, and tied to thecord of the ola-leaf book. While the special discourses are beingrecited the monks hold the thread. The purpose is to maintain anunbroken communication from the water to the relic, to the ‘

Pirit

Potha’ and to the officiating monks, (

Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, the

Ti-ratana, the Three Jewels.) A ball of thread connected to ‘The ThreeJewels’ and the water, is unloosened and passed on to the listeners(seated on the ground on mats), who hold the thread while the recitalgoes on.

When the recital in Pali of the entire book is over at dawn, the threadsanctified by the recital is divided into pieces and distributed amongthe devotees to be tied round their wrists or necks. At the same timethe sanctified water is sprinkled on all, who even drink a little of it and

25

sprinkle it on their heads. These are to be regarded as symbols of theprotective power of the paritta that was recited. It is a service ofinducing blessings. It has its psychological effects.

Dr. Bernard Grad of McGill University in Montreal painstakinglyproved that if a psychic healer held water in a flask and this water waslater poured on barley seeds, the plants significantly outgrew untreatedseeds. But — and this is the intriguing part — if depressed psychiatricpatients held the flasks of water, the growth of seeds was retarded.

‘Dr. Grad suggests, that there appeared to be some “x factor” orenergy that flows from the human body to affect growth of plants andanimals. A person’s mood affected this energy. This previouslyunacknowledged ‘energy’ has the widest implications for medicalscience, from healing to lab tests, Grad says’.

3

As experimentally discovered by Dr. Grad mind can influence matter.If that be so, not much thinking is necessary to draw the logicalinference that mind can influence mind. Further if the human mindcan influence lower animals, then by a parity of reasoning the humanmind can influence the minds of beings higher than animals.

Notes:1. See below nos. 2, 3, 4.

2. See Invitation (

ārādhanā) below.

3.

Psychic Dicoveries Behind the Iron Curtain, Sheila Ostrander & Lynn

Schroeder, Bantam Books, U.S.A., p. 224; also read chapter on ‘Healing with

Thought’, p. 293.

26

Invitation

(

Ārādhanā)

‘

Vipatti patibāhāya — sabba sampatti siddhiyā

Sabba dukkha vināsāya — parittam brūtha mangalam


Sabba bhhya vināsāya — parittam brūtha mangala%


Sabba roga vināsāya — paritta% brūtha mangala%’

1

That from misfortune I may be free

That all good luck should come to me

And also from anguish to be free

Chant ‘THE PROTECTION’ I invite thee.



Also from all fear to be free


2



And also from sickness to be free


1 See appendix.

2 See above p.

27

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa

Homage to the Blessed One, the Consummate One,

the supremely Enlightened One

I

Going–For–Refuge (

Sara!agamana)

1

Budda% sarana% gacchāmi

Dhamma% sarana% gacchāmi

Sangha% sarana% gacchāmi

Dutiyampi Budda% sarana% gacchāmi

Dutiyampi Dhamma% sarana% gacchāmi

Dutiyampi Sangha% sarana% gacchāmi

Tatiyampi Budda% sarana% gacchāmi

Tatiyampi Dhamma% sarana% gacchāmi

Tatiyampi Sangha% sarana% gacchāmi

I go for refuge to the Buddha (Teacher)I go for refuge to the Dhamma (the Teaching)I go for refuge to the Sangha (the Taught)

For the second time I go for refuge to the BuddhaFor the second time I go for refuge to the DhammaFor the second time I go for refuge to the Sangha

For the third time I go for refuge to the BuddhaFor the third time I go for refuge to the DhammaFor the third time I go for refuge to the Sangha

1

Vin. I, 22 (cf. M. i. 24);

Khp. p. 1.

28

II

The Ten Training Precepts

(

Dasa sikkhāpada)

1

1. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from killing.

2. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from stealing.

3. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from sexual misconduct.

4. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from lying.

5. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from liquor that causes intoxication and heedlessness.

6. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from untimely eating.

7. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from dancing, singing, music and visiting unseemly shows.

8. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from the use of garlands, perfumes, cosmetics and embellishments.

9. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from the use of highand luxurious beds.

10. I undertake to abide by the precept to abstain from accepting gold and silver.

1

Khp. p. 1; cf.

Vin. I, 83-84;

Vbh. 285 ff.

29

III

Questions To Be Answered By A Novice(

Sāma!era pañhā)

1

One is what? All beings subsist on food.

2

Two is what? Name and form (mind and matter).

Three is what? Three kinds of feeling.

Four is what? Four Noble Truths.

Five is what? Five aggregates subject to grasping.

Six is what? Internal six-fold base.

Seven is what? Seven Factors of Enlightenment.

Eight is what? The Noble Eightfold Path.

Nine is what? Nine abodes of beings.

Ten is what? He that is endowed with ten attributesis called an Arahant.

The novice referred to here is the seven-year old Sopaka. He wasquestioned by the Buddha. It is not a matter for surprise that a child ofsuch tender years can give profound answers to these questions. Onehas heard of infant prodigies.

3

1 Also known as ‘

Kumāro Panha’, Questions to be answered by the Young One.

Khp. 2;cf.

A. v. 50 ff; 55 ff.

2 See notes at the end of the book.

3 Vide

Encyclopaedia Britannica. Inc., 1955, II. p. 389. Also read

The Case for Rebirth.Francis Story. Wheel 12-13. Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

30

IV

The Thirty Two Parts Of The Body(

Dvatti%sākāra)

1

There are in this body head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh,sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs,intestines, intestinal tract, stomach, faeces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood,sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, nasal mucus, synovium (oil lubricatingthe joints), urine and brain in the skull.

V

The Four-Fold Reflection Of A Monk(

Paccavekkha!ā)

2

1. Wisely reflecting do I wear the robe, only in order to protect myselffrom cold, heat, gadflies, mosquitoes, wind and sun and fromsnakes; and also as a constant covering for my modesty.

1

Khp. 2; cf.

D., ii, 293;

M. I, 57; iii, 90. Also see below

Girimānanda sutta 15.

2

M. i. p. 10; cf.

A. ii. 40;

M. 53.

31

2. Wisely reflecting I will partake of food not for pleasure of it, not forthe pride (resulting from physical strength obtainable), not foradornment, not for beautifying the body, but merely to maintainthis body, to still the hunger, and to enable the practice of the holylife; also to resist the pangs of hunger (due to previous want offood), and to resist the pain (resulting from excess of food). Thuswill my life be maintained free from wrong doing and free fromdiscomfort.

3. Wisely reflecting I will make use of lodgings only in order to rotectmyself from cold and heat, from gadflies and mosquitoes; fromwind and sun, from snakes, and also as a constant protectionagainst the rigours of climate, and in order to realize that ardentdesire for seclusion (which begets mental concentration).

4. Wisely reflecting I will make use of medicine only as an aid toeliminate bodily pains that have arisen, and also to maintain thatimportant condition, freedom from disease.

32

1

Discourse On The Ten Dhammas(

Dasadhamma sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavanaat the monastery of Anathapindika.

Then the Blessed One addressed the monks, saying: ‘Monks’.

‘Venerable Sir’, they said by way of reply. The Blessed One thenspoke as follows:

These ten essentials (

dhammas) must be reflected upon again andagain by one who has gone forth (to live the holy life). What are theseten?

1. I am now changed into a different mode of life (from that of alayman). This must be reflected upon again and again by one whohas gone forth.

2. My life depends on others.

3. I must now behave in a different manner. This must be reflectedupon again and again by one who has gone forth.

4. Does my mind upbraid me regarding the state of my virtue (sila).This must be reflected upon again and again by one who has goneforth.

5. Do my discerning fellow-monks having tested me, reproach meregarding the state of my virtue? This must be reflected upon againand again by one who has gone forth.

1

A. v. 87.

33

6. There will be a parting (some day) from all those who are dear andloving to me. Death brings this separation to me. This must bereflected upon again and again by one who has gone forth.

7. Of

kamma

1 I am constituted.

Kamma is m

y inheritance;

kamma is

the matrix; kamma is my kinsman;

kamma is my refuge. Whatever

kamma I perform, be it good or bad, to that I shall be heir. Thismust be reflected upon again and again by one who has gone forth.

8. How do I spend my nights and days? This must be reflected uponagain and again by one who has gone forth.

9. Do I take delight in solitude? This must be reflected upon again andagain by one who has gone forth.

10. Have I gained superhuman faculties? Have I gained that higherwisdom so that when I am questioned (on this point) by fellow-monks at the last moment (when death is approaching) I will haveno occasion to be depressed and downcast? This must be reflectedupon again and again by one who has gone forth.

These, monks, are the essentials that should be reflected again andagain by one who has gone forth (to live the holy life).

So spoke the Blessed One. Those monks rejoiced at the words of theBlessed One.

1 Literally action — mental, verbal and physical.

34

2

Discourse On Blessings (Mah

ā Ma

�gala sutta)1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavanaat Anathapindika’s monastery. Now when the night was far advanced,a certain deity, whose surpassing radiance illuminated the whole ofJetavana, approached the Blessed One, respectfully saluted him, andstood beside him. Standing thus, he addressed the Blessed One inverse:

1. ‘Many deities and men longing for happiness have pondered on (thequestion of) blessings. Pray tell me what the highest blessings are.

2. Not to associate with the foolish, but to associate with the wise, andto honour those worthy of honour — this is the highest blessing.

3. To reside in a suitable locality, to have performed meritoriousactions in the past, and to set oneself in the right direction — this isthe highest blessing.

4. Vast learning, skill in handicrafts, well grounded in discipline, andpleasant speech — this is the highest blessing.

5. To support one’s father and mother; to cherish one’s wife andchildren, and to be engaged in peaceful occupations — this is thehighest blessing.

1

Khp. 2;

Sn. 46 under the title

Mangala sutta; cf.

Mahamangala Jātaka No. 452.

35

6. Liberality, righteous conduct, rendering assistance to relatives, andperformance of blameless deeds — this is the highest blessing.

7. To cease and abstain from evil, to abstain from intoxicating drinks,and diligent in performing righteous acts — this is the highestblessing.

8. Reverence, humility, contentment, gratitude, and the timely hearingof the Dhamma, the teaching of the Buddha, — this is the highestblessing.

9. Patience, obedience, meeting the Samanas (holy men), and timelydiscussions on the Dhamma — this is the highest blessing.

10. Self-control, chastity, comprehension of the Noble Truths, and therealization of Nibbana — this is the highest blessing.

11. The mind that is not touched by the vicissitudes of life

1, the mindthat is free from sorrow, stainless, and secure — this is the highestblessing.

12. Those who have fulfilled the conditions (for such blessings) arevictorious everywhere, and attain happiness everywhere — To themthese are the highest blessings.’

1 The vicissitudes are eight in number: gain and loss, good-repute and ill-repute, praise andblame, joy and sorrow. This stanza is a reference to the state of mind of an Arahant, theConsummate One.

36

3

The Jewel Discourse (Ratana sutta)1

(The occasion for this discourse, in brief, according to thecommentary, is as follows: The city of Vesali was afflicted by afamine, causing death, especially to the poor folk. Due to the presenceof decaying corpses the evil spirits began to haunt the city; this wasfollowed by a pestilence. Plagued by these three fears of famine, non-human beings and pestilence, the citizens sought the help of theBuddha who was then living at Rajagaha.

Followed by a large number of monks including the VenerableAnananda, his attendant disciple, the Buddha came to the city ofVesali. With the arrival of the Master, there were torrential rainswhich swept away the putrefying corpses. The atmosphere becamepurified, the city was clean.

Thereupon the Buddha delivered this Jewel Discourse (Ratana sutta)

2

to the Venerable Anananda, and gave him instructions as to how heshould tour the city with the Licchavi citizens reciting the discourse asa mark of protection to the people of Vesali. The Venerable Ananadafollowed the instructions, and sprinkled the sanctified water from theBuddha’s own alms bowl. As a consequence the evil spirits wereexorcised, the pestilence subsided. Thereafter the Venerable Ananada

1

Khp. 3;

Sn. 39

2

Ratana means precious jewel. Here the term is applied to the Buddha, Dhamma andSangha.

37

returned with the citizens of Vesali to the Public hall where theBuddha and his disciples had assembled awaiting his arrival. Therethe Buddha recited the same Jewel Discourse to the gathering:

1)

1. Whatever beings (non-humans) are assembled here, terrestrial orcelestial, may they all have peace of mind, and may they listenattentively to these words;

2. ‘O beings, listen closely. May you all radiate loving-kindness tothose human beings who, by day and night, bring offerings to you(offer merit to you). Wherefore, protect them with diligence.

3. Whatever treasure there be either in the world beyond, whateverprecious jewel there be in the heavenly worlds, there is noughtcomparable to the Tathagata (the perfect One). This precious jewelis the Buddha.

2 By this (asseveration of the) truth may there behappiness.

4. That Cessation, that Detachment, that Deathlessness (Nibbana)supreme, the calm and collected Sakyan Sage (the Buddha) hadrealized. There is nought comparable to this (Nibbana) Dhamma.This precious jewel is the Dhamma.

3

By this (asseveration of the)truth may there be happiness.

5. The Supreme Buddha extolled a path of purity (the NobleEightfold Path) calling it the path which unfailingly bringsconcentration. There is nought comparable to this concentration.This precious jewel is the Dhamma. By this (asseveration of the)truth may there be happiness.

1 Khp.A. 161.

2 Literally, in the Buddha is this precious jewel.

3 Literally, in the Dhamma is this precious jewel.

38

6. The eight persons extolled by virtuous men constitute four pairs.They are the disciples of the Buddha and are worthy of offerings.Gifts given to them yield rich results. This precious jewel is theSangha.

1

By this (asseveration of the) truth may there behappiness.

7. With a steadfast mind, and applying themselves well in thedispensation of the Buddha Gotama, free from (defilements), theyhave attained to that which should be attained (arahantship)encountering the Deathless. They enjoy the Peace of Nibbanafreely obtained.

2

This precious jewel is the Sangha. By this(asseveration of the) truth may there be happiness.

8. As a post deep-planted in the earth stands unshaken by the windsfrom the four quarters, so, too, I declare is the righteous man whocomprehends with wisdom the Noble Truths. This precious jewelis the Sangha. By this (asseveration of the) truth may there behappiness.

9. Those who realized the Noble Truths well taught by him who isprofound in wisdom (the Buddha), even though they may beexceedingly heedless, they will not take an eighth existence (in therealm of sense spheres.

3) This precious jewel is the Sangha. Bythis (asseveration of the) truth may there be happiness.

10. With his gaining of insight he abandons three states of mind,namely self-illusion, doubt, and indulgence in meaningless rites

1 Literally, in the Sangha is this precious jewel

.

2 Obtained without payment; ‘

avyayena’

, KhpA. I., 185.

3 The reason why it is stated that there will be no eighth existence for a person who hasattained the stage of

sotapatti or the first stage of sanctity is that such a being can live atthe most for only a period of seven existences in the realm of sense spheres.

39

and rituals, should there be any. He is also fully freed from thefour states of woe, and therefore, incapable of committing the sixmajor wrongdoings.

1 This precious jewel is the Sangha. By this(asseveration of the) truth may there be happiness.

11. Any evil action he may still do by deed, word or thought, he isincapable of concealing it; since it has been proclaimed that suchconcealing is impossible for one who has seen the Path (ofNibbana).

2 This precious jewel is the Sangha. By this(asseveration of the) truth may there be happiness.

12. As the woodland groves though in the early heat of the summermonth are crowned with blossoming flowers even so is thesublime Dhamma leading to the (calm) of Nibbana which istaught (by the Buddha) for the highest good. This precious jewelis the Buddha. By this (asseveration of the) truth may there behappiness.

13. The Peerless Excellent one (the Buddha) the Knower (ofNibbana), the Giver (of Nibbana), the Bringer (of the Noble Path),taught the excellent Dhamma. This precious jewel is the Buddha.By this (asseveration of the) truth may there be happiness.

14. Their past (kamma) is spent, their new (kamma) no more arises,their mind to future becoming is unattached. Their germ (ofrebirth-consciousness) has died, they have no more desire for re-living. Those wise men fade out (of existence) as the flame of this

1

Abhi0hānāni; i. matricide, ii. patricide, iii. the murder of Arahants (the ConsummateOnes), iv. the shedding of the Buddha’s blood, v. causing schism in the Sangha, and vi.pernicious false beliefs (

niyata miccā di00hi)

2 He is a

sotapanna, stream-enterer, one who has attained the first stage of sanctity. Alsosee Notes at the end of the book.

40

lamp (which has just faded away). This precious jewel is theSangha. By this (asseveration of the) truth may there behappiness.

15. Whatever beings (non-human) are assembled here, terrestrial orcelestial, come let us salute the Buddha, the Tathagata (the perfectOne), honoured by gods and men. May there be happiness.

1

16. Whatever beings are assembled here terrestrial or celestial, comelet us salute the perfect Dhamma, honoured by gods and men.May there be happiness.

17. Whatever beings are assembled here terrestrial or celestial, comelet us salute the perfect Sangha, honoured by gods and men. Maythere be happiness.

1 The last three stanzas were recited by

Sakka, the chief of Devas (gods),

KhpA. 195.

41

4

Discourse On Loving-kindness(

Kara!īya metta sutta)

1

(While the Buddha was staying at Savatthi, a band of monks, havingreceived subjects of meditation from the master, proceeded to a forestto spend the rainy season (vass

āna). The tree deities inhabiting thisforest were worried by their arrival, as they had to descend from treeabodes and dwell on the ground. They hoped, however, the monkswould leave soon; but finding that the monks would stay the vass

ānaperiod of three months, harassed them in diverse ways, during thenight with the intention of scaring them away.

Living under such conditions being impossible, the monks went to theMaster and informed him of their difficulties. Thereon the Buddhainstructed them in the Metta sutta and advised their return equippedwith this sutta for their protection.

The monks went back to the forest, and practicing the instructionconveyed, permeated the whole atmosphere with their radiantthoughts of mett

ā or loving-kindness. The deities so affected by thispower of love, henceforth allowed them to meditate in peace.

The discourse gets divided into two parts. The first detailing thestandard of moral conduct required by one who wishes to attain Purityand Peace, and the second the method of practice of metta).

2

1

Khp. 8.;

Sn. 25, under the title

Metta-sutta.

2

KhpA. 232.

42

1. He who is skilled in (working out his own) well being, and whowishes to attain that state of Calm (Nibbana) should act thus: Heshould be dexterous, upright, exceedingly upright, obedient, gentleand humble.

2. Contented, easily supportable, with but few responsibilities, ofsimple livelihood, controlled in the senses, prudent, courteous, and nothanker after association with families.

3. Let him not perform the slightest wrong for which wise men mayrebuke him. (Let him think:) ‘May all beings be happy and safe. Maythey have happy minds.’

4. & 5. Whatever living beings there may be — feeble or strong (orthe seekers and the attained) long, stout, or of medium size, short,small, large, those seen or those unseen, those dwelling far or near,those who are born as well as those yet to be born — may all beingshave happy minds.

6. Let him not deceive another nor despise anyone anywhere. In angeror ill will let him not wish another ill.

7. Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life even solet one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings.

8. Let him radiate boundless love towards the entire world — above,below and across — unhindered, without ill will, without enmity.

9. Standing, walking, sitting or reclining, as long as he is awake, lethim develop this mindfulness. This, they say, is ‘Noble Living’ here.

10. Not falling into wrong views — being virtuous, endowed withinsight, lust in the senses discarded — verily never again will hereturn to conceive in a womb.

43

5

Protection Of The Aggregates

(

Khandha Paritta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavanaat Anathapindika’s monastery. At that time at Savatthi a certain monkhad died bitten by a snake. Thereupon many monks approached theBuddha and having saluted him sat beside him. So seated those monksspoke thus to the Blessed One:

‘Bhante (Venerable Sir), a certain monk at Savatthi had died bitten bya snake.’

‘Assuredly, monks,’ said the Buddha, ‘that monk has not suffusedwith thoughts of loving-kindness (metta) the four royal tribes ofsnakes. Had he done so, that monk would not have died of snake-bite.What are the four royal tribes of snakes? The royal tribe of snakescalled

Virupakkha…

Erapatha…

Chabyaputta and

Kanhagotamaka.Monks, that monk, did not suffuse with thoughts of loving-kindnessthese four royal tribes of snakes, had not done so he would not havedied of snake-bite. Monks, I enjoin you to suffuse with thoughts ofloving-kindness these four royal tribes of snakes for your safety, foryour preservation and for your protection.’ So said the Blessed One.Having thus spoken, the Buddha, the ‘Welcome One’ (

Sugata), furthersaid (suggesting how they should express themselves:)

1

Culla Vagga, ii. p. 110; also in the

Anguttara under the title

Ahi (

metta)

sutta, ii.72;

Khandha-Vatta Jātaka, 203.

44

1. ‘May I have metta towards VirupakkhasTowards Erapathas may I have mettaMay my metta be towards ChabyaputtasTowards Kanha-gotamakas also metta

may I have.

2. May I have metta towards the footlessAnd towards bipeds too, my metta may I haveMay I have metta towards the quadrupedsAnd towards the many footed also, metta

may I have.

3. Let not the footless do me harmNor those that have two feetLet not quadrupeds do me harmNor those endowed with many feet.

4. All beings, all living creatures,May good fortune befall them allMay not the least harm on them befall.

‘Infinite (in virtue) is the Buddha, infinite is the Dhamma, infinite isthe Sangha. Finite are creeping creatures — snakes, scorpions,centipedes, spiders, lizards and rats. I have guarded myself, I havemade my protection. Depart from me, ye beings. I bow down to theBlessed One; and to the seven Supreme Buddhas.’

1

1 Vipassi, Sikhi, Vessabhu, Kakusanda, Konagama, Kassapa, Gotama.

45

6

Discourse On Advantages OfLoving-kindness (

Mettānisa%sa sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavanaat Anathapindika’s monastery. Then he addressed the monks saying,‘monks’. ‘Venerable Sir’, said the monks, by way of reply. TheBlessed One then spoke as follows:

‘Monks, eleven advantages are to be expected from the release(deliverance) of heart by familiarizing oneself with thoughts ofloving-kindness (metta), by the cultivation of loving-kindness, byconstantly increasing these thoughts, by regarding loving-kindness asa vehicle (of expression), and also as something to be treasured, byliving in conformity with these thoughts, by putting these ideas intopractice, and by establishing them. What are the eleven?

1. He sleeps in comfort. 2. He awakes in comfort. 3. He sees no evildreams. 4. He is dear to human beings. 5. He is dear to non-humanbeings. 6. Devas (gods) protect him. 7. Fire, poison and sword cannottouch him. 8. His mind can concentrate quickly. 9. His countenance isserene. 10. He dies without being confused in mind. 11. If he fails toattain Arahantship (the highest sanctity here and now, he will bereborn in the brahma-world.

1

A., v. 342.

46

‘These eleven advantages, monks, are to be expected from the releaseof heart by familiarizing oneself with thoughts of loving-kindness, bycultivation of loving-kindness, by constantly increasing thesethoughts, by regarding loving-kindness as a vehicle (of expression),and also as something to be treasured, by living in conformity withthese thoughts, by putting these ideas into practice and by establishingthem.’

So said the Blessed One. Those monks rejoiced at the words of theBlessed One.

7

The Advantages Of Friendship

(

Mittānisa%sa)

[These ten

gāthās (stanzas) recounting the beneficial effects offriendship, are found in the

Mūgapakkha (

Temiya) J

ātaka, vol. vii.No. 538].

1. He who maintains genuine friendship (who is not treacheroustowards friends) will, whenever he goes far out of his home, receiveabundance of hospitality. Many will obtain their living through him.

2. He who maintains genuine friendship will, whatever country,village or town he visits, be honoured.

3. He who maintains genuine friendship — robbers will notoverpower him. Royalty will not look down upon him. He willtriumph over all his enemies.

47

4. He who maintains genuine friendship, returns home with feeling ofamity, rejoices in the assemblies of people, and becomes the chiefamong his kinsmen.

5. He who maintains genuine friendship, being hospitable to others, inturn, receives hospitality. Being respectful to others, in turn, receivesrespect. He enjoys both praise and fame.

6. He who maintains genuine friendship, being a giver, in turn,receives gifts himself. Being worshipful to others, in turn, himself isworshipped. He attains prosperity and fame.

7. He who maintains genuine friendship, shines (in glory) like the fire,and is radiant as a deity. Never will prosperity forsake him.

8. He who maintains genuine friendship, to him there will be manybreeding cattle. What is sown in the field will flourish. The fruit ofthat which is sown he enjoys.

1

9. He who maintains genuine friendship, should he fall from aprecipice or mountain or tree, he will be protected (will not beharmed).

He who maintains genuine friendship cannot be overthrown byenemies even as the deep-rooted banyan tree cannot be overthrown bythe wind.

1 The paritta text has ‘

puttāna% phalamasnāti’

which means, ‘blest with offsprings’. Thisis hardly compatible in the context of the stanza concerned. The original Jataka text has‘

vuttāna% phalamasnāti’ which means, ‘the fruit of what is sown he enjoys’, a meaningwhich harmonizes with the rest of the stanza

48

8

The Peacock’s Prayer For Protection(

Mora Paritta)

1

1. There rises the golden hued one, the one who has sight, the one whois sole monarch, the one who illuminates the earth (it is the sun that isbeing addressed). I adore thee, the golden hued one who illuminatesthe earth (it is the sun that is being addressed). I adore thee, the goldenhued one who illuminates the earth. Protected by thee we live this daysafe and secure.

2. May my adoration be to those

Brahmanas

2 (the Buddhas) who haveattained Enlightenment by comprehending all dhammas. May theyprotect me. May my adoration be to the Buddhas (of the past), to theirEnlightenment (the Four Paths and the Four Fruits). May myadoration be to those supremely secured from bondage (the Buddhas)and to their Deliverance. Having made this protection, the peacockgoes about seeking (food).

3. There descends the golden hued one, the one who has sight, the onewho is sole monarch, the one who illuminates the earth. I adore thee,the golden hued one who illuminates the earth. Protected by thee welive this night safe and secure.

1

Jataka, ii. 23; No. 159.

2

The word ‘

Brāhma!a’ is used in the literal sense of one who has unloaded the burden ofevil (

bāhita pāpoti brāhma!o), i.e. the Buddha, or an Arahant, the Consummate One. Theword

Brāhma!a in the Br

āhmana Vagga (last chapter of the Dhammapada) refers to theArahant.

49

4. May my adoration be to those

Brahmanas (the Buddhas) who haveattained Enlightenment by comprehending all dhammas. May theyprotect me. May my adoration be to the Buddhas (of the past), to theirEnlightenment. May my adoration be to those supremely secured frombondage (the Buddhas) and to their Deliverance. Having made thisprotection the peacock spent his life happily.

9

The Moon Deity’s Prayer For Protection(

Canda Paritta)

1

(In Indian cosmology the major planets are regarded as deities orgods. This view, at times, extends to the common parlance of today,e.g. ‘rain god’, ‘sun god’, etc. The Buddha was not disposed tocomment on these views, and so he contented himself with merelyexpressing the message of the Dhamma through the medium of theseviews.)

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi, at Jetavanaat Anathpindika’s monastery. At that time Candima, the moon deity,was seized by Rahu, lord of Asura. Thereupon calling to mind theBlessed One, Candima, the moon deity, recited this stanza:

1 S., i. 50.

50

i. ‘O Buddha, the Hero, thou art wholly free from all evil. Myadoration to thee. I have fallen into distress. Be thou my refuge’.

Thereupon the Blessed One addressed a stanza to Rahu, Lord ofAsuras, on behalf of Candima, thus:

ii. ‘O Rahu, Candima has gone for refuge to the Tathagata, theConsummate One. Release Candima. The Buddhas radiatecompassion on the world (of beings).’

Thereupon Rahu, Lord of Asuras, released Candima, the deity, andimmediately came to the presence of Vepacitta, Lord of Asuras, andstood beside him trembling with fear and with hair standing on end.Then Vepacitta addressed Rahu in this stanza.

iii. ‘Rahu. Why did you suddenly release Candima? Why have youcome trembling, and why are you standing here terrified?’

iv. ‘I have been spoken to by the Buddha in a stanza (requesting me torelease Candima). If I had not released Candima my head would havesplit into seven pieces. While yet I live, I should have had nohappiness. (Therefore I released Candima).’

51

10

The Sun Deity’s Prayer For Protection(

Suriya Paritta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavanaat Anathapindika’s Monastery. At that time Suriya, the sun deity, wasseized by Rahu, Lord of Asuras. Thereupon calling to mind theBlessed One, Suriya, the Sun deity, recited this stanza:

i. ‘O Buddha, the Hero, thou art wholly free from all evil. Myadoration to thee. I have fallen into distress. Be thou my refuge.’

Thereupon the Blessed One addressed a stanza to Rahu, Lord ofAsuras, on behalf of Suriya thus:

ii. ‘O Rahu, Suriya has gone for refuge to the Tathagata, theConsummate One. Release Suriya. The Buddhas radiatecompassion on the world (of beings).

iii. ‘O Rahu, swallow not the dispeller of darkness, the shiningone, the radiant and effulgent traveller through the sky. Rahu,release Suriya, my son.’

Thereupon Rahu, Lord of Asuras, released Suriya, and immediatelycame to the presence of Vepacitta, Lord of Asuras, and stood besidehim trembling with fear and with hair standing on end. Then Vepacittaaddressed Rahu in this stanza:

1

S., i.51.

52

iv. ‘Rahu, why did you suddenly release Suriya? Why have youcome trembling, and why are you standing here terrified?’

‘I have been spoken to by the Buddha in a stanza (requesting merelease Suriya). If I had not released Suriya my head would havesplit into seven pieces. While yet I live, I should have had nohappiness. (Therefore I released Suriya).’

11

Banner Protection

(

Dhajagga Paritta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavanaat the monastery of Anathapindika. Then he addressed the monkssaying, ‘O monks’. ‘Venerable Sir,’ said the monks by way of reply tothe Blessed One. Thereupon he spoke as follows:

‘Monks, I shall relate a former incident. There arose a battle betweenthe Devas (gods) and Asuras. Then

Sakka, the Lord of the devas,addressed the devas of the Tavatimsa heaven thus:

1

S., i. 218.

53

“Happy ones, if the devas who have gone to the battle shouldexperience fear or terror or suffer from hair standing on end, let thembehold the crest of my own banner. If you do so, any fear, terror orhair standing on end arising in you will pass away.

If you fail to look up to the crest of my banner, look at the crest of thebanner of Pajapati, King of gods. If you do so, any fear, terror or hairstanding on end arising in you will pass away.

If you fail to look up to the crest of Pajapati, King of the gods, look atthe crest of the banner of

Varuna, King of the gods. If you do so, anyfear, terror or hair standing on end arising in you will pass away.”

‘Monks, any fear, terror or hair standing on end arising in them wholook at the crest of the banner of

Sakka

… The Lord of the gods, of

Pajapati

… of

Varuna

… of

Isana, the King of the gods, any fear terroror hair standing on end, may pass away, or may not pass away. Whatis the reason for this?

Sakka, the Lord of gods, O monks, is not free from lust, not free fromhate, not free from delusion, and is therefore liable to fear, terror,fright and flight. I also say unto you O monks — if any fear, terror orhair standing on end should arise in you when you have gone to theforest or to the foot of a tree, or to an empty house (lonely place), thenthink only of me thus:

“Such Indeed is the Blessed One, Arahant (Consummate One),supremely enlightened, endowed with knowledge and virtue, welcomebeing, knower of worlds, the peerless trainer of persons, teacher ofgods and men, the Buddha, the Blessed One.” Monks, if you think of

54

me, any fear, terror, or standing of hair on end, that may arise in you,will pass away.

If you fail to think of me, then think of the Dhamma (the Doctrine)thus: “Well expounded is the Dhamma by the Blessed One, aDhamma to be realized by oneself and gives immediate results, aDhamma which invites investigation and leads up to Nibbana, aDhamma to be understood by the wise each for himself.” Monks, ifyou think of the Dhamma, any fear, terror or hair standing on end, thatmay arise in you, will pass away.

If you fail to think of the Dhamma, then think of the Sangha (theOrder) thus: “Of good conduct is the Order of Disciples of the BlessedOne, of upright conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One,of wise conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One, ofdutiful conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One. ThisOrder of Disciples of the Blessed One — namely those four pairs ofpersons,

1 the eight kinds of individuals

2 — is worthy of offerings, isworthy of hospitality, is worthy of gifts, is worthy of reverentialsalutations, is an incomparable field of merit for the world.” Monks, ifyou think of the

Sangha, any fear, terror or hair standing on end, thatmay arise in you, will pass away. What is the reason for this? TheTathagata, O monks, who is Arahant, supremely enlightened, is freefrom lust, free from hate, is free from delusion, and is not liable tofear, terror, fright or flight.’

1 The four pairs of persons constitute the four kinds of aryan disciples who have attainedthe four paths and four fruits of sanctity (

magga and

phala), namely,

sotāpatti ‘StreamEntry’;

sakadāgāmi ‘Once-Return’;

anāgāmi ‘Non-return’ and

arahattha. Arahantship, thefourth and the last stage at which all fetters are severed and taints rooted out.

2 The above four pairs become eight when the Paths and Fruits are regarded separately.

55

So said the Blessed One. Having thus spoken, the teacher, the‘Welcome Being’ (

Sugata), further said:

i. Whether in forest or at foot of tree,Or in some secluded spot, O monks,Do call to mind that Buddha Supreme;Then will there be no fear to you at all.

ii. If you think not of the Buddha, O monks,That Lord of the world and Chief of men,Then do think, O monks, of that Dhamma;So well preached and leading to Nibbana.

iii. If you think not of the Dhamma, O monksWell preached and leading to Nibbana;Then do think, O monks, of that Sangha,That wonderful field of merit to all.

iv. To those recalling the Buddha supreme,To those recalling the Dhamma sublime,And to those recalling the Sangha,No fear, no terror will make them quiver.

56

12

Factors Of Enlightenment(

Mahā Kassapa Thera Bojjhanga)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Rajagaha, in thebamboo grove, in the Squirrels’ feeding ground. At that time theVenerable Maha Kassapa who was living in the Pipphali Cave, wasafflicted with a disease, was suffering therefrom, and was gravely ill.

Then the Blessed One arising from his solitude at eventide visited theVenerable Maha Kassapa and sat down on a seat made ready (forhim). Thus seated the Blessed One spoke to the Venerable MahaKassapa:

‘Well Kassapa, how is it with you? Are you bearing up, are youenduring (your suffering)? Do your pains decrease or increase? Arethere signs of your pains decreasing and not of increasing?’

‘No, Ven. Sir, I am not bearing up, I am not enduring, the pain is verygreat. There is a sign not of pains decreasing but of their increasing.’

1

S. v. p. 79.

57

‘Kassapa, these seven factors of enlightenment are well expounded byme and are cultivated and fully developed by me. They conduce toperfect understanding, to full realization (of the four Noble Truths)and to Nibbana. What are the seven?

i. Mindfulness, the factor of enlightenment, Kassapa, is wellexpounded by me, and is cultivated and fully developed by me. Itconduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.

ii. Investigation of the Dhamma, the factor of enlightenment, Kassapa,is well expounded by me, and is cultivated and fully developed by me.It conduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and toNibbana.

iii. Persevering effort, the factor of enlightenment, Kassapa, is wellexpounded by me and is cultivated and fully developed by me. Itconduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.

iv. Rapture, the factor of enlightenment, Kassapa, is well expoundedby me, and is cultivated and fully developed by me. It conduces toperfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.

v. Calm, the factor of enlightenment, Kassapa, is well expounded byme, and is cultivated and fully developed by me. It conduces to perfectunderstanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.

58

vi. Concentration, the factor of enlightenment, Kassapa, is wellexpounded by me, and is cultivated and fully developed by me. Itconduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.

vii. Equanimity, the factor of enlightenment, Kassapa, is wellexpounded by me, and is cultivated and fully developed by me. Itconduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.’

‘These seven factors of enlightenment, Kassapa, are well expoundedby me and are cultivated and fully developed by me. They conduce toperfect understanding, to full realization and to Nibbana.’

‘Most assuredly, O Blessed One, they are factor of enlightenment.Most assuredly, O Welcome Being (Sugata), they are factors ofenlightenment.’

Thus said the Buddha, and the Venerable Maha Kassapa glad at heartapproved the utterances of the Buddha. Thereupon the VenerableKassapa recovered from that affliction, and that affliction, of theVenerable Kassapa disappeared.

59

13


Mahā Moggallāna Thera Bojjhanga)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Rajagaha in thebamboo grove, in the squirrels’ feeding ground. At that time theVenerable Maha Moggallana who was living on the Gijjhakuta Hill(Vultures’ Peak) was afflicted with a disease, was suffering therefrom,and was gravely ill. Then the Blessed One arising from his solitude ateven-tide visited the Venerable Maha Moggallana and sat down on aseat made ready for him. (Exactly the same as in previous discoursechanging ‘Maha Kassapa’ into ‘Maha Moggallana’.)

14


Mahā Cunda Thera Bojjhanga)

2

Thus have I heard;

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Rajagaha in thebamboo grove in the squirrels’ feeding ground. At that time, he wasafflicted with a disease, was suffering therefrom, and was gravely ill.

1

S., v. p. 80.

2

S., v. p. 81.

60

Then the Venerable Maha Cunda

1

‘arising from his solitude at even-tide’

2 approached the Blessed One, saluted him, and sat down besidehim.

To the Venerable Maha Cunda thus seated, the Blessed One said:

‘O Cunda, let the factors of enlightenment occur to your mind.’

‘These seven factors of enlightenment,

bhante (Ven. Sir) are wellexpounded and are cultivated and fully developed by the Blessed One.They conduce to perfect understanding, to full realization and toNibbana. What are the seven?

i. Mindfulness, the factor of enlightenment,

bhante, is well expoundedby the Blessed One, and is cultivated and fully developed by theBlessed One. It conduces to perfect understanding, to full realizationand to Nibbana.

ii. Investigation of the Dhamma, the factor of enlightenment,

bhante,is well expounded by the Blessed One and is cultivated and fullydeveloped by the Blessed One. It conduces to perfect understanding,to full realization and to Nibbana.

iii. Persevering effort, the factor of enlightenment,

bhante, is wellexpounded by the Blessed One and is cultivated and fully developedby the Blessed One. It conduces to perfect understanding, to fullrealization and to Nibbana.

1 Younger brother of the Venerable S

āriputta.

2 ‘

Sāyanha samaya% patisallānā vu00hito’, not found in the original

Sa%yutta text.

61

iv. Rapture, the factor of enlightenment,

bhante, is well expounded bythe Blessed One and is cultivated and fully developed by the BlessedOne. It conduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and toNibbana.

v. Calm, the factor of enlightenment,

bhante, is well expounded by theBlessed One and is cultivated and fully developed by the Blessed One.It conduces to perfect understanding, to full realization and toNibbana.

vi. Concentration, the factor of enlightenment,

bhante, is wellexpounded by the Blessed One and is cultivated and fully developedby the Blessed One. It conduces to perfect understanding, to fullrealization and to Nibbana.

vii. Equanimity, the factor of enlightenment,

bhante, is wellexpounded by the Blessed One, and is cultivated and fully developedby the Blessed One. It conduces to perfect understanding, to fullrealization and to Nibbana.These seven factors of enlightenment,

bhante, are well expounded and cultivated and fully developed by theBlessed One. They conduce to perfect understanding, to fullrealization and to Nibbana.’

‘Most assuredly Cunda, they are factors of enlightenment. Mostassuredly, Cunda, they are factors of enlightenment.’

Thus said the Venerable Maha Cunda, and the Master approved of it.Then the Blessed One recovered from his affliction, and thusdisappeared his affliction.

62

15

Discourse To Girim

ānanda Thera(

Girimānanda sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavanaat the monastery of Anathapindika. Now at that time, the VenerableGirimananda was afflicted with a disease, was suffering therefrom,and was gravely ill. Thereupon the Venerable Ananda approached theBuddha and having saluted him sat beside him. So seated theVenerable Ananda said this to the Blessed One:

‘Bhante (Venerable Sir,) the Venerable Girimananda is afflicted withdisease, is suffering therefrom, and is gravely ill. It were well, bhante,if the Blessed One would visit the Venerable Girimananda out ofcompassion for him.’ (Thereupon the Buddha said):

‘Should you, Ananada, visit the monk Girimananda and recite to himthe ten contemplations, then that monk Girimananda having heardthem, will be immediately cured of his disease.

1

A., v. 108.

63

What are the ten?

Contemplation of impermanence.Contemplation of

anatta (absence of a permanent self or soul).Contemplation of foulness (

asubha).Contemplation of disadvantage (danger).Contemplation of abandonment.Contemplation of detachment.Contemplation of cessation.Contemplation of distaste for the whole world.Contemplation of impermanence of all component things.Mindfulness of in-breathing and out-breathing.

i. And what, Ananda, is contemplation of impermanence?

Herein, Ananda, a monk having gone to the forest or to the foot of atree or to an empty house (lonely place) contemplates thus: Matter(visible objects) is impermanent; feeling or sensation is impermanent;perception is impermanent; formations are impermanent;consciousness is impermanent. Thus he dwells contemplatingimpermanence in these five aggregates. This, Ananda, is calledcontemplation of impermanence.

ii. And what Ananda is contemplation of

anatta?

Herein, Ananda, a monk having gone to the forest or to the foot of atree or to a lonely place contemplates thus: The eye is not the self;visible objects are not the self; the ear is not the self; sounds are notthe self; the nose is not the self; smells are not the self; the tongue isnot the self; tastes are not the self; the body is not the self; bodilycontacts (tangible objects) are not the self; the mind is not the self;

64

mental objects are not the self. Thus he dwells contemplating not selfin these internal and external bases. This, Ananda, is calledcontemplation of

anatta.

iii. And what, Ananda, is contemplation of foulness?

Herein, Ananda, a monk contemplates this body upwards from thesoles of the feet, downwards from the top of the hair, enclosed in skin,as being full of many impurities. In this body there are head-hairs,body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys,heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, intestinal tract, stomach,faeces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, nasalmucous, synovium (oil lubricating the joints), and urine. Thus hedwells contemplating foulness in this body. This, Ananda, is calledcontemplation of foulness.

iv. What, Ananda, is contemplation of disadvantage (danger)?

Herein, Ananda, a monk having gone to the forest, or to the foot of atree, or to a lonely place, contemplates thus:

‘Many are the sufferings, many are the disadvantages (dangers) of thisbody since diverse diseases are engendered in this body, such as thefollowing: Eye-disease, ear-disease, nose-disease, tongue-disease,body-disease, headache, mumps, mouth-disease, tooth-ache, cough,asthma, catarrh, heart-burn, fever, stomach ailment, fainting, dysentry,swelling, gripes, leprosy, boils, scrofula, consumption, epilepsy,ringworm, itch, eruption, tetter, pustule, plethora, diabetes, piles,cancer, fistula, and diseases originating from bile, from phlegm, fromwind, from conflict of the humors, from changes of weather, fromadverse condition (faulty deportment), from devices (practiced byothers), from

kamma-vipaka (results of kamma); and cold, heat,

65

hunger, thirst, excrement, and urine. Thus he dwells contemplatingdisadvantage (danger) in this body. This Ananda, is calledcontemplation of disadvantage (danger).

v. And what, Ananda, is contemplation of abandonment?

Herein, Ananda, a monk does not tolerate a thought of sensual desirethat has arisen in him, dispels it, makes an end of it, and annihilates it.He does not tolerate a thought of ill-will that has arisen in him, butabandons, dispels it, makes an end of it, and annihilates it. He does nottolerate a thought of cruelty that has arisen in him but abandons it,dispels it, makes an end of it, and annihilates it. He does not tolerateevil, unprofitable states that arise in him from time to time, butabandons them, dispels them, makes an end of them, and annihilatesthem. This, Ananda, is called contemplation of abandonment.

vi. And what, Ananda, is contemplation of detachment?

Herein, Ananda, a monk having gone to the forest, or to the foot of atree, or to a lonely place, contemplates thus: This is peaceful, this issublime, namely, the stilling of all conditioned things, the giving up ofall substratum of becoming, the extinction of craving, detachment,Nibbana. This, Ananda, is called contemplation of detachment.

vii. And what, Ananda, is contemplation of cessation?

Herein, Ananda, a monk having gone to the forest, or to the foot of atree, or to a lonely place, contemplates thus: This is peaceful, this issublime, namely, the stilling of all component things, the extinction ofcraving, cessation, Nibbana. This, Ananda, is called contemplation ofcessation.

66

viii. And what, Ananda, is contemplation of distaste for the wholeworld?

Herein, Ananda, (a monk) by abandoning any concern and clinging tothis world, by abandoning mental prejudices, wrong beliefs, and latenttendencies concerning this world, by not grasping them, but by givingthem up, becomes detached. This, Ananda, Is called contemplation ofdistaste for the whole world.

ix. And what, Ananda, is contemplation of impermanence of allcomponent things?

Herein, Ananda, a monk is wearied, humiliated and disgusted with allconditioned things.This, Ananda, is called contemplation ofimpermanence of all component things.

x. And what, Ananda, is mindfulness of in-breathing and out-breathing?

Herein, Ananda, a monk having gone to the forest, or to the foot of atree, or to a lonely place, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise,keeping the body erect, and his mindfulness alive, mindful he breathesin, mindful he breathes out.

When he is breathing in a long breath, he knows: ‘I am breathing in along breath’, when he is breathing out a long breath, he knows: ‘I ambreathing out a long breath’; when he is breathing in a short breath, heknows: ‘I am breathing in a short breath’, when he is breathing out a

67

short breath, he knows: ‘I am breathing out a short breath.’ ‘Consciousof the entire process

1 I shall breath in’, thus he trains himself.

‘Conscious of the entire process I shall breath out’, thus he trainshimself.

‘Calming the entire process, I shall breath in’, thus he trains himself;‘calming the entire process I shall breath out’, thus he trains himself.

‘Experiencing rapture, I shall breath in’, thus he trains himself;‘experiencing rapture, I shall breathe out’, thus he trains himself.

‘Experiencing bliss, I shall breathe in’, thus he trains himself;‘experiencing bliss, I shall breathe out’, thus he trains himself.

‘Experiencing the mental formations (feeling and perception), I shallbreath in’, thus he trains himself; ‘experiencing the mental formations,I shall breath out’, thus he trains himself.

‘Calming the mental formations, I shall breath in’, thus he trainshimself; ‘calming the mental formations, I shall breath out’, thus hetrains himself.

‘Experiencing the mind (according to the fourfold absorptions, or

jhanas), I shall breathe in’, thus he trains himself; ‘experiencing themind, I shall breathe out’, thus he trains himself.

‘Exceedingly gladdening the mind (by

samatha, calming, as well asby

vipassana, insight), I shall breathe in’, thus he trains himself;‘exceedingly gladdening the mind, I shall breathe out’, thus he trainshimself.

1

Sabbha-kāya. Literally, ‘the whole (breath) body’. According to the

Visuddhi Magga,‘

kāya’ here does not mean the physical body, but the whole mass of in-breathing and out-breathing.

68

‘Concentrating the mind (on the breath), I shall breathe in’, thus hetrains himself; concentrating the mind I shall breathe out’, thus hetrains himself.

‘Liberating the mind (from the

nivaranas, or hindrances), I shallbreathe in’, thus he trains himself, ‘liberating the mind I shall breatheout’, thus he trains himself; ‘contemplating impermanence (in body,feelings, perceptions, volitional formations, consciousness), I shallbreathe in’, thus he trains himself; ‘contemplating impermanence, Ishall breathe out’, thus he trains himself; ‘contemplating detachment, Ishall breathe in’, thus he trains himself; ‘contemplating detachment, Ishall breathe out’, thus he trains himself; ‘contemplating cessation, Ishall breathe in’, thus he trains himself, ‘contemplating cessation, Ishall breathe out’, thus he trains himself; ‘contemplatingabandonment, I shall breathe in’, thus he trains himself;‘contemplating abandonment, I shall breathe out’, thus he trainshimself.

This, Ananada, is called mindfulness of in-breathing and out-breathing. If, Ananada, you visit the monk Girimananda and recite tohim these ten contemplations, then that monk, Girimananda, havingheard them, will be immediately cured of his affliction.

Thereupon the Venerable Ananada, having learnt these tencontemplations from the Blessed One, visited the VenerableGirimananda, and recited to him the ten contemplations. When theVenerable Girimananda had heard them, his affliction wasimmediately cured. He recovered from that affliction, and thusdisappeared the affliction of the Venerable Girimananda.

69

16

The Discourse At Isigili

(

Isigili sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living on Isigili mountain nearRajagaha. Then he addressed the monks saying, ‘O monks’. ‘Bhante’(Venerable Sir,) replied those monks in assent to the Blessed One.Thereupon he said this:

‘Do you, monks,see this Vebhara mountain?’

‘Yes, bhante.’

‘There was another name, monks, for this Vebhara mountain, anotherdesignation. Do you, monks, see this Pandava mountain?’

‘Yes, bhante.’

‘There was another name, monks, for this Pandava mountain, anotherdesignation. Do you, monks, see this Vepulla mountain?’

‘Yes, bhante.’

‘There was another name, monks, for this Vepulla mountain, anotherdesignation. Do you, monks, see this Gijjhakuta mountain?’

‘Yes, bhante.’

1

M., 116.

70

‘There was another name, monks, for this Gijjhakuta mountain,another designation. Do you, monks, see this Isigili mountain?’

‘Yes, bhante.’

‘This has been the very name, monks, the very designation for thisIsigili mountain. In the past, monks, five hundred

paccekabuddhas

1

lived for a long time on this Isigili mountain. As they were enteringthe mountain they were visible, but once they have entered, they wereinvisible. People seeing this remarked: ‘This mountain swallows theseseers (

isigilati)’; hence the name Isigili came into being.’

‘I will tell you, monks, the names of the paccekabuddhas. I willreveal, monks, the names of the paccekabuddhas. Listen, pay closeattention, I will speak.’

‘Yes bhante’ replied the monks.

The blessed One said:

‘

Ari00ha

2, monks was a paccekabuddha who lived for a long time onthis Isigili mountain,

Upari00ha… Tagarasikkhi… Yasassi…

Sudassaua… Piyadassi… Gandhāra… Pi!Cola… Upāsabha…

Nītha… Tatha… Sutavā… Bhāvitatta, monks, was a paccekabuddhawho lived for a long time on this Isigili mountain.

1 They are Buddhas, who have attained enlightenment independent of another’s aid, butlack the faculty of convincing others.

2 For stories connected with these thirteen names see

Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, G.P. Malalasekera.

71

i. The names of those supreme beings

1 who are free from sorrow anddesire, who have overcome their passions

2,

And have individually attained enlightenment, noble among men. Imake known. Listen to me:

ii. Ari

��ha, Upari

��ha, Tagarasikhi, Yasassi, Sudassana, Piyadassi, theenlightened.

3

Gandh

āra, Pi

ö¶ola and Up

āsabha, N

ītha, Tatha, Sutav

ā, Bh

āvitatta.

iii. Sumbha, Subha, Methula, A

��hama, and then Megha, An

īghaSud

ā�ha.

Are paccekabuddhas whose desire for becoming (re-living) isdestroyed. Hingu and Hinga of great power.

iv. The two sages J

āli

4 and A

��haka, then Kosala, the enlightened one,then Sub

āhu,

Upanemisa, Nemisa, Santa-citta, Sacca, Tatha, Viraja and Pa

�ita.

1 Literally those essences of beings,

MA. iv. 129. Having declared the names of thesethirteen paccekabuddhas, the names of those others who are the essences of beings, arenow revealed in verse.

2 Literally removed the spike of passions (

visalla).

3 It would appear that the reason why in the P

āli stanzas attributes are mentioned in respectof some

paccekabuddhas, and not all, is for metrical purposes.

4

Culla Jāli and

Maha Jāli.

72

v. K

āla, Upak

āla, Vijita and Jita, Anga and Panga and Gutiijita.

Passi removed defilements, the root of suffering. Apar

ājita, conquerorof M

āra’s might.

vi. Satth

ā, Pavatt

ā, Sarabha

�ga, Lomaha

�sa, Uccangam

āya, Asitta,An

āsava.

Manomaya and Bandhum

ā, the destroyers of pride; Tad

ādhimutta,Vimala and Ketuma.

vii. Ketumbar

āga and M

ātanga, Ariya. Then Accuta andAccutag

āmaby

āmaka.

Suma

gala, Dabbila, Suppati

��hita, Asayha, Khem

ābhirata and Sorata.

viii. Durannaya, Sangha, and Uccaya, and then the sage Sayha ofsublime energy.

Ānanda, Nanda, Upananda, the twelve paccekabuddhas

1, Bh

āradv

ājabearing his last body

2.

ix. Bodhi, Mah

ān

āma and then Uttara: Kesi, Sikhi, Sundara andBh

āradv

āja.

Tissa, Upatissa, Upas

īdari, the destroyer of the bonds of becoming,and S

īdari, the destroyer of craving.

1 Four

Ā

nanadas, four

Nandas and four

Upanandas,

MA., iv. 129.

2 The five aggregates of: body; feelings or sensations; perceptions; formations andconsciousness.

73

x. Mangala was the lust-free paccekabuddha, Usabha who cut awaythe ensnaring root of suffering.

Upan

īta who attained state of Calm (Nibb

āna), Uposatha, Sundara andSaccan

āma.

xi. Jeta, Jayanta, Paduma and Uppala; Padumuttara, Rakkhita andPabbata.

M

ānatthaddha, Sobhita, V

ītar

āga, and the paccekabuddha Ka

ha wellfreed in mind.

xii. These and others are paccekabuddhas of great power whosedesires for becoming (re-living) are destroyed.

Do salute these great sages of immeasurable (virtue) who have gonebeyond all attachment

1 and attained

Parinibbāna.

1 attachment or grasping, they are: lust, hate, delusion, pride and false views.

74

17

Setting In Motion The Wheel Of Truth(

Dhammacakkappavattana-sutta)

1

(The First Sermon of the Buddha)

(For seven weeks immediately following the enlightenment, theBuddha spent his time in lonely retreat. At the close of this period hedecided to proclaim the doctrine (dhamma), he had realized, to thosefive ascetics who were once struggling with him for enlightenment.Knowing that they were living at Isipatana (modern Sarnath), stillsteeped in the unmeaning rigours of extreme asceticism, the masterleft Gaya, where he attained enlightenment, for distant Varan

āsi,India’s holy city. There at the Deer Park he rejoined them.)

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Deer Park atIsipatana (the Resort of Seers) near Varanasi (Benares). Then headdressed the group of five monks (

bhikkhus):

‘Monks, these two extremes ought not to be practiced by one who hasgone forth from the household life. (What are the two?) There isaddiction to indulgence of sense-pleasures, which is low, coarse, theway of ordinary people, unworthy, and unprofitable; and there isaddiction to self-mortification, which is painful, unworthy andunprofitable.

1

S. v. 420;

Vinaya (

Mahā

vagga, i. 10. No. 17).

75

Avoiding both these extremes, the Tathagata (The Perfect One)

1 hasrealized the Middle Path; it gives vision, gives knowledge, and leadsto calm, to insight, to enlightenment and to Nibbana. And what is thatMiddle Path realized by the Tathagata

…? It is the Noble Eightfoldpath, and nothing else, namely: right understanding, right thought,right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, rightmindfulness and right concentration. This is the Middle Path realizedby the Tathagata which gives vision, which gives knowledge, andleads to calm, to insight, to enlightenment, and to Nibbana.

The Noble Truth of Suffering (

dukkha), monks, is this: Birth issuffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering,association with the unpleasant is suffering, dissociation from thepleasant is suffering, not to receive what one desires is suffering — inbrief the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering.

The Noble Truth of the Origin (cause) of Suffering is this: It is thiscraving (thirst) which produces re-becoming (rebirth) accompanied bypassionate greed, and finding fresh delight now here, and now there,namely craving for sense pleasure, craving for existence and cravingfor non-existence (self-annihilation).

The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering is this: It is thecomplete cessation of that very craving, giving it up, relinquishing it,liberating oneself from it, and detaching oneself from it.

The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering isthis: It is the Noble Eightfold Path, and nothing else, namely: right

1 The Perfect One, one attained to Truth. The Buddha used it when referring to himself.For details, see

The Buddha’

s Ancient Path, Piyadassi Thera, Buddhist PublicationSociety, Kandy, Sri Lanka, p 17, n.4.

76

understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, rightlivelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

1

“This is the Noble Truth of Suffering”: such was the vision, theknowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in meconcerning things not heard before.” This suffering, as a noble truth,should be fully realized”: such was the vision, the knowledge, thewisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning things notheard before.” This suffering, as a noble truth has been fully realized”:such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the lightthat arose in me concerning things not heard before.

“This is the Noble Truth of the Origin (cause) of Suffering”: such wasthe vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arosein me concerning things not heard before.” This Origin of Suffering asa noble truth should be eradicated”: such was the vision, theknowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in meconcerning things not heard before.” This Origin of suffering as anoble truth has been eradicated”: such was the vision, the knowledge,the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning thingsnot heard before.

“This is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering”: such was thevision, the knowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose inme concerning things not heard before.” This Cessation of suffering,as a noble truth, should be realized”: such was the vision, theknowledge, the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in meconcerning things not heard before.” This Cessation of suffering, as a

1 For a very comprehensive account of the Four Noble Truths read ‘

The Buddha’

s Ancient

Path’, Piyadassi Thera, Buddhist Publication Society. Kandy, Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

77

noble truth has been realized”: such was the vision, the knowledge,the wisdom, the science, the light that arose in me concerning thingsnot heard before.

“This is the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the cessation ofsuffering”: such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, thescience, the light that arose in me concerning things not heard before.”This Path leading to the cessation of suffering, as a noble truth, shouldbe developed”: such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, thescience, the light that arose in me concerning things not heard before.”This Path leading to the cessation of suffering, as a noble truth hasbeen developed”: such was the vision, the knowledge, the wisdom, thescience, the light that arose in me concerning things not heard before.

As long as my knowledge of seeing things as they really are, was notquite clear in these three aspects, in these twelve ways, concerning theFour Noble Truths

1, I did not claim to have realized the matchless,supreme Enlightenment, in this world with its gods, with its Marasand Brahmas, in this generation with its recluses and brahmanas, withits Devas and humans. But when my knowledge of seeing things asthey really are was quite clear in these three aspects, in these twelveways, concerning the Four Noble Truths, then I claimed to haverealized the matchless, supreme Enlightenment in this world with itsgods, with its Maras and Brahmas, in this generation with its reclusesand brahmanas, with its Devas and humans. And a vision of insight

1 As the previous paragraphs indicate, there are three aspects of knowledge with regard toeach of the Four Noble Truths: 1. The knowledge that it is the Truth (

sacca-ñā!a).2. The knowledge that a certain function with regard to this Truth should be performed(

kicca-

ñā!a). 3. The knowledge that the function with regard to this Truth has beenperformed (

kata-

ñā!a). The twelve ways or modes are obtained by applying these threeaspects to each of the Four Noble Truths.

78

arose in me thus: “Unshakable is the deliverance of my heart. This isthe last birth. Now there is o more re-becoming (rebirth)”.’

This the Blessed One said. The group of five monks was glad, andthey rejoiced at the words of the Blessed One.

When this discourse was thus expounded there arose in the VenerableKondanna the passion-free, stainless vision of Truth (

dhamma-cakkhu;in other words, he attained

sotapatti, the first stage of sanctity, andrealized: ‘whatever has the nature of arising, has the nature ofceasing.’

Now when the Blessed One set in motion the Wheel of Truth, the

Bhummattha devas (the earth deities) proclaimed: ‘The MatchlessWheel of Truth that cannot be set in motion by recluse, brahmana,deva, Mara, Brahma, or any one in the world, is set in motion by theBlessed One in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Varanasi.’

Hearing these words of the earth deities, all the Catummaharajikadevas proclaimed: ‘The Matchless Wheel of Truth that cannot be setin motion by recluse, brahmana, deva, Mara, Brahma, or any one inthe world, is set in motion by the Blessed One in the Deer Park atIsipatana near Varanasi.’ These words were heard in the upper devarealms, and from

Catummaharajika it was proclaimed in

Tavatimsa…Yama…Tusita… Nimmanarati… Paranimmita-

vasavatti… and the

Brahmas of

Brahma Parisajja… Brahma

Purohita… Maha Brahma… Parittabha… Appamanabha…

Abhassara… Parittasubha… Appa mana subha… Subhakinna…

Vehapphala… Aviha… Atappa… Sudassa… Sudassi… and in

Akanittha: ‘The Matchless Wheel of Truth that cannot be set inmotion by recluse, brahmana, deva, Mara, Brahma, or any one in the

79

world, is set in motion by the Blessed One in the Deer Park atIsipatana near Varanasi.’

Thus at that very moment, at that instant, the cry (that the Wheel ofTruth is set in motion) spread as far as Brahma realm, the system often thousand worlds trembled and quaked and shook. A boundlesssublime radiance surpassing the effulgence (power) of devas appearedin the world.

Then the Blessed One uttered this paeon of joy: ‘Verily Kondanna hasrealized; verily Kondanna has realized (the Four Noble Truths).’ Thusit was that the Venerable Kondanna received the name, ‘

Anna

Kondanna’ — Kondanna who realizes.

(With the proclamation of the Dhamma, for the first time, and with the

conversion of the five ascetics, the Deer Park at Isipatana became the birth

place of the Buddha’s Dispensation (Buddha-sasana), and the Sangha, the

community of monks, the ordained disciples.

Emperor Asoka, 281 years after the event, came on pilgrimage to this holy

spot and caused a series of monuments and a commemorative pillar with

the lion capital to be erected. This capital with its four magnificent lions

upholding the ‘Dharma Cakra’, the ‘Wheel of Dharma’, now stands in the

museum of Sarnath, and is today the official crest of India. The ‘Dharma-

Cakra’ festival is still maintained in Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

Jawaharlal Nehru, the late prime Minister of India, writes: ‘At Sarnath

near Benares, I would almost see the Buddha preaching his first sermon,

and some of his recorded words would come like a distant echo to me

through two-thousand five hundred years. Asoka’s pillars of stone with

their inscriptions would speak to me in their magnificent language and tell

me of a man who, though an emperor, was greater than any king or

emperor.’ The Discovery of India (The Signet Press, Calcutta), p. 44.

80

18

The Great Assembly

(

Mahā-samayta-sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Maha-vana (greatwood) near the city of Kapilavatthu in the province of the Sakyanstogether with a great retinue of monks, all of them Arahants, and fivehundred in number. Devas (gods) from ten thousand world-systemsfrequently assembled for the purpose of seeing the Blessed One andthe bhikkhu-sangha (ordained monks).

Then to four devas of the

Suddhavasa (pure Abodes) brahma world,this thought occurred: ‘The Blessed One is living in the Mahavananear the city of Kapilavatthu in the province of the Sakyans with agreat retinue of monks, all of them Arahants, and five hundred innumber. Devas are frequently assembling there for the purpose ofseeing the Blessed One and the bhikkhu-sangha. It is well if we werealso to repair to the place where the Blessed One is, and each of usrecite a stanza in his presence.

Then those devas as quickly as a strong man might stretch out his arm,or bend his out-stretched arm, vanished from the pure abodes, andappeared before the Blessed One, saluted him, and stood beside him.So standing one of the devas recited this stanza in his presence:

1

D. No. 20.

81

1. ‘There is a great assembly in the forest. A host of devas hasassembled. We have come to this dhamma-assembly to see theinvincible

1 sangha.’

Then another deva recited this stanza in the presence of the BlessedOne:

2. ‘The monks in this (assembly

2) have collected their thoughts, andmade their minds upright. The wise (monks) guard their senses evenas a charioteer holds the reins.’


3. ‘Having cut off the stake, having dug up the cross-bar (of lust, hateand delusion), devoid of desire, they go their way, pure, stainless, withvision clear, and well tamed, these young Arahants move about likeelephants.’

3


1

Aparājita, because they are Arahants, the Consummate Ones, who have overcome alldefilements.

2 ‘

Tatra’ in the text means ‘there’, but the preceding stanza has ‘

ima%’ this (assembly),and the devas are already in the presence of the Blessed One; so the rending ‘in this’.

3 The word ‘

nāga’ admits of dual meaning. It can mean an elephant, or it can mean anArahant. An elephant is physically steadfast, an Arahant can be referred to as one who ismentally steadfast. He is faultless: he does no evil. ‘

Na hi āgu% karoti so’ vide

Thera

gāthā, No. 692, cf.

Sutta-nipāta, stanza 522.

82

4. ‘They who go for refuge to the Buddha shall not go to evil state ofexistence; but will quit the human body and fill the ranks of thedevas.’

The Blessed One then addressed the monks: ‘Often, monks, devasfrom the ten world-systems foregather to see the Tathagata (theBuddha) and the monks, the community of bhikkhus. Devas haveassembled before the consummate (arahanto), supreme Buddhas of thepast; devas will appear before the consummate, supreme Buddhas ofthe future as they do assemble now before me. I will tell you, monks,the names of the host of devas, I will reveal the names of the host ofdevas. Listen, pay attention. I will speak.’ ‘Yes, Venerable Sir’, saidthe monks by way of assent. The Blessed One said this:

1

5-6. ‘In measured speech

2 I will give utterance. The terrestrial devasremain in their realm. Those bent on meditation frequent rocky clefts.Well composed they (Arahants) live like solitary lions overcoming thefear that causes hair to stand on end, with immaculate minds, pure,serene and undefiled.’

7. Knowing that there were in the forest, near the city of Kapilavatthu,five hundred and more disciples, delighted in the word of the Buddha,the Master thereupon addressed them:

1 In most of the Paritta books the numbering of stanzas is not consecutive. I have adopted aconsecutive method.

2

Akkhara pada niyamita% vacana%, Com.

83

8. ‘Monks, hosts of devas have assembled. Do know them well.’ Andthey (the monks) hearing the word (

sasanam) of the Buddha, stroveardently (to see and know them).

9. There arose in them knowledge of perceiving the non-humans.Some saw one hundred, some thousand non-humans (devas andbrahmas), and others seventy thousand non-humans.

10. Some saw one hundred thousand non-humans, others sawcountless numbers, every quarter being filled with them.

11. Thereupon the seeing One (the Buddha) knowing all thingsthrough super knowledge, addressed the disciples delighted in theword of the Buddha:

12. ‘Monks, host of devas have assembled. I will announce them toyou in words, and in due order. Know ye them.’

13. Seven thousand terrestrial yakkhas

1 of Kapilavatthu possessed ofiddhi (super normal) power, radiant, comely, and followed by aretinue of attendants

2, have come rejoicing to the forest to see

3 theassembly of (Arahant) monks.

14. Six thousand Yakkhas from the Himalayan mountain, diverse inhue, possessed of iddhi power, radiant, comely, and followed by aretinue of attendants, have come rejoicing to this forest to see theassembly of monks.

1

Yakkha here used in the sense of Devas.

2

Parivāra sampannā, Com.

3

Bhikkhu dassanatthāya āgatā, Com. This meaning is clear from the words

dakkhitāya (tosee) stanza No.1,

dakkhema (shall see) No. 60.

84

15. Three thousand Yakkhas from the Sata’s mountain (satagira),diverse in hue, possessed of iddhi power, radiant, comely, andfollowed by a retinue of attendants, have come rejoicing to the forestto see the assembly of monks.

16. Thus sixteen thousand Yakkhas, diverse in hue, possessed of iddhipower, radiant, comely, and followed by a retinue of attendants, havecome rejoicing to the forest to see the assembly of monks.

17. Five hundred Yakkhas from the Vessamitta mountain, diverse inhue, possessed of iddhi power, radiant, comely, and followed by aretinue of attendants, have come rejoicing to the forest to see theassembly of monks.

18. Kumbhira of Rajagala town, having his dwelling on Vepulla’sMountain, with more than a hundred thousand Yakkhas in his train,has come to the forest to see the assembly of monks.

19-20. Dhatarattha, King of the East, adviser to the Eastern clime, andChief of the Gandhabbas, followed by a retinue of attendants, andwith his many mighty sons (devaputtas), Inda their names, possessedof iddhi power, radiant, comely, and with a retinue, has comerejoicing to the forest to see the assembly of monks.

21-22. Virulha, King of the South, adviser to the Southern clime, andChief of the Kumbhandas, followed by a retinue of attendants, andwith his many mighty sons, Inda their names, possessed of iddhipower, radiant, comely, and with a retinue of attendants, has comerejoicing to the forest to see the assembly of monks.

85

23-24. Virupakkha, King of the West, adviser to the Western clime,and Chief of the Nagas, followed by a retinue of attendants, and withhis many mighty sons, Inda their names, possessed of iddhi power,radiant, comely, and with a retinue of attendants, has come rejoicingto the forest to see the assembly of monks.

25-26. Kuvera, King of the North, adviser to the Northern clime, andChief of the Yakkhas, followed by a retinue of attendants, and with hismany mighty sons, Inda their names, possessed of iddhi power,radiant, comely, and with a retinue of attendants, has come rejoicingto the forest to see the assembly of monks.

27-28. Dhatarattha over the East, to the South Virulhaka, WestwardVirupakkha, Kuvera over the North — these four great Kings stoodilluminating the four quarters of the forest in the vicinity ofKapilavatthu.

29. With them came their crafty, deceitful, cunning slaves: enticingKutendu, Vetendu, Vitucca and Vituda.

30. And (also the slaves) Candana, Kamasettha, Kinnughandu, andNighandu. There also came Panada and Opamanna and Matalicharioteer of the Devas.

31. Citta and Sena, the Ghandhabbas, Nala (kara), Janesabha(Janavasabha, Pancasikha, the Devas, Timbaru, the Gandhabba, andSuriyavaccasa (the daughter of Timbaru) also came.

32. Along with these (Gandhabba) kings, other Gandhabba kings too,have come rejoicing with each other to the forest to see the assemblyof monks.

86

33. Then came the (divine) Nagas of the (lake Nabhasa), those of theNaga realm Visali together with the Nagas named Tacchaka. Alsocame Nagas of Kambala and Assatara and Payaga accompanied bytheir relatives.

34. Nagas from Yamuna, and those of the race of Dhatarattha camewith their retinue of attendants, and Eravana, the great Naga too, cameto the forest to see the assembly of monks.

35. Those birds (harpies,

garula or

suppana) who carry away Nagasby force, endowed with divine power, and twice born

1, with clear eyes(keen of sight), have flown into the middle of the forest from the sky— Citra and Supanna are their names.

36. At that time the Naga king (with other Nagas) were free from fear.The Buddha vouchsafed his protection to the Nagas from the harpies(suppana). Entreating one another with gentle words, the Nagas andSuppanas (harpies) took refuge in the Buddha.

37. The Asuras dwelling in the ocean were defeated by Vajirahattha(Sakka). They are brethren of Vasavassa (Sakka)

2 possessed of iddhipower, and are followed by a retinue of attendants.

38. The terrible Kalakanjas, the Danaveghasas, Vepacitti, Sucitti andPaharada — all Asuras have also come with Namuci (the VasavattiMara, the Evil One).

1 Twice-born is a reference to birds since they first come out as an egg, and when hatcheda complete bird is born.

2

Vajirahattha and

Vāsavassa are other names for

Sakka, the chief of Devas.

87

39. Hundreds of the sons of Bali, all of them named after Veroca (thatis their uncle Rahu), with an armed host of warriors, approached Rahu(Asurendra, the lord of Asuras), and said: ‘Lord, it is time to go to theforest to see the assembly of monks.

40. The Devas Apo and Pathavi, Tejo and Vayo

1 have also come to theforest, and the Devas Varuna, V

āruna and Soma with Yasa.

41-42. There also came the Devas Metta-kayika and Karunakayika

2

followed by their attendants. These ten groups of Devas of diversehue, possessed of iddhi power, radiant, comely, and with a retinue ofattendants, have come rejoicing to the forest to see the assembly ofmonks.

43. The Devas Venhu, Sahali, Asama, the two Yama, (ka), and thosewho attend on the Moon god came preceded by him.

44. Those Devas attending on the Sun god too, came preceded by him.Those Devas attending the Planets came preceded by them. The Devasof the rain clouds too, came.

45. Also came Sakka, the chief of gods, who is also called Vasava andPurindada. Also those ten groups of Devas of diverse hue, possessedof iddhi power, radiant, comely, and with a retinue of attendants, havecome rejoicing to the forest to see the assembly of monks.

1 The Devas born in brahma-loka by practicing the

kasi!a or devices for concentration,namely: water (

āpo) kasi

a; earth (

pa0havi) kasi

a; fire (

tejo) kasi

a; air (

vāyo) kasi

a.

2 The Devas who have developed

jhāna, or mental absorption by practicing

mettā and

karunā, loving-kindness and compassion, two of the four sublime states (

brahma-vihāra).

88

47. Then too, came the Deva Sahabhu, shining like unto a flame offire, the Devas Aritthaka, Roja and Ummapupphanibha.

48-49. There came also the Devas Varuna Sahadhamma, Accuta andAnojaka, Suleyya, Rucira, and Vasavanesi. All those ten groups ofDevas of diverse hue, possessed of iddhi power, radiant, comely, andwith a retinue of attendants, have come rejoicing to the forest to seethe assembly of monks.

50. The Devas Samana, Mahasamana, Manusa, Manusuttama,Khiddapadusika and Manopadusika all have come.

51. Then came the Devas Hari, those of Lohita, Paraga and Maha-paraga with their retinue of attendants.

52. All those ten groups of Devas of diverse hue, possessed of iddhipower, radiant, comely, and with a retinue of attendants, have comerejoicing to the forest to see the assembly of monks.

53. There also came the Devas Sukha, Karumha, Aruna withVeghanasa. The Deva Odatagayha, Pamokkha, and Vicakkhana aloscame.

54. Sadamatta, Haragaja, mighty Missaka and Pajjuna, who causesrain to pour in every direction, came thundering.

55. All these ten groups of Devas of diverse hue, possessed of iddhipower, radiant, comely, and with a retinue of attendants, have comerejoicing to the forest to see the assembly of monks.

56. The Devas Khemiya, Tusita, Yama, the mighty Katthaka,Lambhitaka, Lamasettha, Joti, and Asava also came.

89

57-58. There also came the Devas Nimmanarati, and Paranimmita(Vasavatthi). All these ten groups of Devas of diverse hue, possessedof iddhi power, radiant, comely, and with a retinue of attendants, havecome rejoicing to the forest to see the assembly of monks.

59. These sixty (six of ten groups, indicated in the order of Apo Deva,etc.) Devas of diverse hue, according to their name and class, havecome with others (similar in name and class).

60. (These Devas came saying:) ‘Let us see (the Sangha, the Arahantmonks), who have outlived birth, who have removed the stake (of lust,hate and delusion), who have crossed the four currents or streams (ofsense-pleasures, becoming, wrong views and ignorance)

1, free fromtaints. (Let us also see the Buddha) who has crossed the streams, whois called Naga (in the sense of one who commits no evil)

2 and shininglike the unclouded moon.

61. The Brahmas Subrahma and Paramatta, came (with otherBrahmas) who are possessed of iddhi power, and sons (disciples of theBuddha). The Brahmas Sanankumara and Tissa also came to the forest(to see the assembly of monks).

62-63. There is born a Mahabrahma (for every Brahma world)excelling other Brahmas, mighty in power, with a formidable stature,and of great glory. Among them, ten chief Brahmas, lords over theirretinues have come, and in the midst of them with all his attendantscame Brahma Harita.

1

Kama-ogha,

bhava-o.,

di00hi-o.,

avijjā-o.

2 See above footnote No. 3. page 85

90

64. When all the Devas headed by Inda (Sakka), and all Brahmasheaded by Haritta had come, there came the host of Mara. Lo! Thefolly of Mara, the Murky One, (Kanha)

1

65. ‘Come on, seize them, bind them, let them all be bound by lust,surrounded on every side, suffer not anybody to escape’ (ThusVasavatti Mara gave order).

66-67. Mara thus striking the earth with his palm and therebyproducing a dreadful sound as when a storm cloud thunders andcauses lightening during rainy season, sent his black army to the midstof the Devas. Nevertheless, unable to bring the Devas under his sway,he filled with anger. He recoiled.

68. Then the Seeing One (the Buddha) knowing perfectly well whathad transpired, addressed his disciples who take delight in the word ofthe Buddha.

69. ‘Monks, the host of Mara have come (and gone). Know them(beware of them). And they (non-Arahants) hearing the word of theBuddha, strove (to gain Deliverance) from their defilements. (Fromthe passion-free Arahants) the army of Mara has departed; even somuch as a hair in them (Arahants) was not affected.

70. ‘All those disciples (monks) are victors in the war of passions;they are free from fear, glorious and renown among mankind. Theylive rejoicing with Aryan disciples.’ (Praising thus Mara departed.)

1

Ka!ha, is a name for

Māra.

91

19

Discourse To Alavaka

(

Alavaka sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the above of Alavaka,the Yakka (demon), at Alavi. Then Alavaka approached the BlessedOne and said:

— Get out recluse (samana).

— Very well, friend, so saying the Blessed One went out.

— Come in recluse.

— Very well, friend, so saying the Blessed One entered.

— Get out recluse, said Alavaka to the Blessed One a second time.




— Get out recluse, said Alavaka to the Blessed One a third time.




— Get out recluse, said Alavaka to the Blessed One a fourth time.

— No, O friend, I will not get out. Do what you will.

1

Sn. p. 31.

92

— I will ask you a question, recluse. If you do not answer me, I willconfound your mind (thoughts), or cleave your heart, or take you byyour feet and fling you over to the further shore of the ocean (

para

gangaya).

— Well, friend, I do not see anyone in the world of

Devas, Maras,

Brahmas, or among the generation of recluses, brahmanas, deities andhumans, who could either confound my mind or cleave my heart, ortake me by the feet and fling me over to the further shore of the ocean;nevertheless, friend, ask what you will.

Then Alavaka addressed the Blessed One in verse:

1. ‘What wealth here is best for man?What well practiced will happiness bring?What taste excels all other tastes?How lived is the life they say is best?

2. Faith is the wealth here best for man;Dhamma well practiced shall happiness bring;Truth indeed all other tastes excels;Life wisely lived they say is best.

3. How does one the currents

1 cross?How is ocean’s

2 existence crossed?How is one’s suffering quelled?How is one purified?

1 ‘Current’ stands for the Pali word ‘

ogha’ which is fourfold — sense pleasures, becoming,wrong views and ignorance (

kama-ogha,

bhava-o.,

di00hi-o.,

avijjā-o).

2 ‘Ocean’ stands for the Pali word ‘

annava%’ which is metaphorically used to signifyrepeated existence, or

samsāra.

93

4. By faith are currents crossed;By diligence is the ocean crossed;By effort is one’s suffering quelled;By wisdom is one purified;

5. How does one wisdom win?How does one wealth obtain?How does one come to fame?How does one friendship win?How does one without sorrow fareWhen from this world to another he’s gone?

6. The mindful and discerning one,Who in the Dhamma plead his faith;By his will to hear that DhammaWins the wisdom of Nibbana.

7. Who is tactful and energetic,And gains wealth by his own effort;Fame will he acquire by truth,And friendship by his giving.

8. He who has faith and is also truthful,virtuous, firm and fond of giving;By virtue of these four conditionsWill never in the hereafter grieve.

9. Truth and Restraint,Charity and Forbearance,Are the great reformers of man;If there be any betterAsk of other

samanas and

brahmanas.

94

10. Why should I now try to askFrom other samanas and brahmanasWhen this day I came to learnWhat weal is here and hereafter?

11. This for my weal indeedThe Buddha to Alavi came;A gift always bears a fruit;This too I learnt today.

12. From village to village and town to townI shall now wander alongPraising that Supreme BuddhaAnd the Dhamma well preached by him.

Having thus spoken, Alavaka said to the Blessed One:

‘Most excellent, O Gotama, is thy teaching, most excellent. Just as aman would set upright what is overturned, reveal what is concealed,point out the way to one gone astray, bring an oil lamp into thedarkness so that those with eyes could see objects; even so theDhamma (doctrine) has been declared in many a manner by theVenerable Gotama. I take refuge in the Venerable Gotama (theBuddha), in the Dhamma and in the Sangha (the Order). May theVenerable Gotama accept me as a disciple who has taken refuge, fromthis day forth while life lasts.’

95

20

Discourse To Bharadvaja, The Farmer(

Kasībhāradvāja sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Dakkhinagiri(monastery), in the brahmana village Ekanala, in Magadha. Now atthat time, it being the sowing season, five hundred ploughs of thebrahmin Kasibharadvaja were put to use. Then in the forenoon theBlessed One having dressed himself, took bowl and (double) robe, andwent to the place where brahmin Kasibharadvaja’s work was goingon. It was the time of food distribution by the brahmin, and theBlessed One drew near, and stood at one side. Bharadvaja seeing theBlessed One standing there for alms said to him:

— ‘Recluse, I do plough, and do sow, and having ploughed and sownI eat. You also, rescuse should plough and sow; having ploughed andsown you should eat.’

— I, too, brahmin, plough and sow; having ploughed and sown, I eat.

— We do not see the Venerable Gotama’s yoke, or plough, orploughshare, or goad or oxen. Nevertheless the Venerable Gotamasays: “I, too, brahmin, plough and sow; having ploughed and sown, Ieat.” ’

1

Sn. p. 12;

S. i. p. 172.

96

Thereupon the brahmin addressed the Blessed One in a stanza:

1. ‘You profess to be a ploughman, yet your plough we do not see;asked about your plough and the rest, tell us of them that we mayknow.’

2. ‘Faith is my seed, austerity the rain, wisdom my yoke and plough,modesty is the pole, mind the strap, mindfulness is my ploughshareand goad.

3. Controlled in speech and conduct, guarded in deed and speech,abstemious in food

1, I make truth my weed cutter; Arahantship, mydeliverance complete.

4. Exertion, my team in yoke, draws me to Nibbana’s security, and onit goes without stopping, wither gone one does not suffer.

5. Thuswise is this ploughing ploughed which bears the fruit ofDeathlessness; having ploughed this ploughing one is freed fromevery ill.’

Then brahmin Kasibharadvaja filling a golden bowl with milk-riceoffered it to the Blessed One saying: ‘May the Venerable Gotamapartake of this milk rice; a ploughman, indeed, is Venerable Gotamawho ploughs a plough for the fruit of Deathlessness (Nibbana)’.

1 In the use of the four requisites: robes, food, lodging, medicine, Com.

97

6. ‘What I receive by reciting verses, O brahmin, I should not eat. It isnot the tradition of those who practice right livelihood. The Buddhasreject what is received by reciting verses. This brahmin, is the conduct(of the Buddhas) as long as Dhamma reigns.

7. To those wholly consummate, taintless, and well-disciplines greatsages, should thou offer other food and drink; sure field is that formerit-seeking men.’

‘To whom, then Venerable Gotama, shall I give this milk rice?’

‘Brahmin, in the world of Devas, Maras, and Brahmas or among thegeneration of recluses, brahmanas, deities and humans, there is no oneby whom this milk rice, if eaten, could be wholly digested except bythe Tathagata (the Buddha), or the disciple of a Tathagata. Therefore,brahmin, either cast this milk rice where there is no grass, or intowater where there are no living creatures.’

Thereupon the brahmin flung that milk rice into water where therewere no living creatures, and the milk rice thrown into the watersmoked and steamed making the noise ‘

cicchita, citicita’, just like aploughshare heated during the day, when thrown into water, smokesand steams making the noise ‘

cicchita, citicita’.

Then the brahmin Kasibharadvaja, alarmed, with hair standing on end,approached, and fell with his head at the Blessed One’s feet and saidas follows.

98

‘Most excellent, O Gotama, is thy teaching, most excellent. Just as aman would set upright what is overturned, reveal what is concealed,point out the way to one gone astray, bring an oil lamp into thedarkness so that those with eyes could see objects, even so theDhamma (doctrine) has been declared in many a manner by theVenerable Gotama. I take refuge in the Venerable Gotama (theBuddha), in the Dhamma and in the Sangha (the Order). I wish toreceive the novice’s ordination (

pabbajja) and higher ordination(

upasampada).’

Brahmin Kasibharadvaja duly received both the

pabbajja and

upasampada from the Blessed One. Not long after his upasampada theVenrable Bharadvaja dwelling alone and aloof, diligent, strenuous andresolute, ere long, by his own insight, here and now, realized andattained the highest perfection (Arahantship), the end of the NobleLife — for the sake of which men of good family go forth from hometo live the homeless life. Birth is destroyed, lived is the noble life,done is what has to be done, there is no more of this state. TheVenerable Bharadvaja became one of the Arahants.

99

21

Discourse On Downfall

(

Parābhava sutta)

1

(Having heard the discourse on Blessings (

Mangala sutta, see above)which deals with things that tend to man’s weal and prosperity, thedeities thought to themselves: ‘The Buddha has told us about theblessings but not about the downfall and decline of man; what if wewere to approach the Buddha and question him about the things thattend to downfall.’ So the day after the teaching of the Blessings by theBuddha, the deities came up to the Master and asked these questions.Com.)

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi, atJetavana, at Anathapindika’s monastery. Now when the night was faradvanced, a certain deity, whose surpassing radiance illuminated thewhole of Jetavana, came to the presence of the Blessed One,respectfully saluted him, and stood beside him. Standing thus headdressed the Blessed One in verse:

1. About the declining man we question thee, Gotama. We have cometo ask the Blessed One: What is the cause of his downfall?

2. Easily known is the progressive one, easily known is the decliningone. The lover of the Dhamma prospers. The hater of the Dhammadeclines.

1

Sn. p. 18.

100

3. We understand this as explained (by thee); this is the first cause ofhis downfall. Tell us the second, O Blessed One. What is the cause ofhis downfall?

4. The vicious are dear to him. He likes not the virtuous; he approvesthe teachings of the ill-natured — this is the cause of his downfall.

5. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the second cause ofhis downfall. Tell us the third, O Blessed One. What is the cause ofhis downfall?

6. The man who is fond of sleep and company, inactive and lazy, andmanifesting anger — this is the cause of his downfall.

7. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the third cause ofhis downfall. Tell us the fourth, O Blessed One. What is the cause ofhis downfall?

8. Whoever being affluent, does not support his mother and fatherwho are old, and past their prime — this is the cause of his downfall.

9. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the fourth cause ofhis downfall. Tell us the fifth, O Blessed One. What is the cause of hisdownfall?

10. Whoever by falsehood deceives either a brahmana, or a samana (aholy man), or any other mendicant — this is the cause of his downfall.

11. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the fifth cause ofhis downfall. Tell us the six, O Blessed One. What is the cause of hisdownfall?

101

12. The person who is possessed of much wealth, who has gold, andwho has an abundance of food, but enjoys his delicacies all by himself— this is the cause of his downfall.

13. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the sixth cause ofhis downfall. Tell us the seventh, O Blessed One. What is the cause ofhis downfall?

14. The man who, proud of his birth, of his wealth, and of his clan,despises his relations — this is the cause of his downfall.

15. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the seventh causeof his downfall. Tell us the eighth, O Blessed One. What is the causeof his downfall?

16. The man who is addicted to women (given to a life ofdebauchery), is a drunkard, a gambler, and a squanderer of hisearnings — this is the cause of his downfall.

17. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the eighth cause ofhis downfall. Tell us the ninth, O Blessed One. What is the cause ofhis downfall?

18. Not satisfied with one’s own wives

1, he is seen among the whoresand the wives of others — this is the cause of his downfall.

1 Apparently during the Buddha’s time, in Indian society, a man could legally have morethan one wife if he could maintain them. Kings had harems. What was prohibited wasillegal sexual relations.

102

19. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the ninth cause ofhis downfall. Tell us the tenth, O Blessed One. What is the cause ofhis downfall?

20. A person past his youth takes as wife, a girl in her teens, andsleeps not being jealous of her

1 — this is the cause of his downfall.

21. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the tenth cause ofhis downfall. Tell us the eleventh, O Blessed One. What is the causeof his downfall?

22. He who places in authority a woman given to drink andsquandering, or a man of similar nature — this is the cause of hisdownfall.

23. We understand this as explained by thee; this is the eleventh causeof his downfall. Tell us the twelfth, O Blessed One. What is the causeof his downfall?

24. He who having but little possessions but great ambition (greed), isof warrior birth and aspires selfishly to (an unattainable) sovereignty— this is the cause of his downfall.

25. Fully realizing these (twelve) causes of downfall in the world, thesage, endowed with ariyan insight, shares a realm of security(Nibbana).

1 By reason of his anxiety as to whether she would long for young men in preference tohim. Com.

103

22

Discourse On Outcasts

(

Vasala sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavanaat Anathapindika’s monastery. Then in the forenoon the Blessed Onehaving dressed himself, took bowl and (double) robe, and entered thecity of Savatthi for alms. Now at that time a fire was burning, and anoffering was being prepared in the house of the brahminAggikabharadvaja. Then the Blessed One, while on his alms round,came to the brahmin’s residence. The brahmin seeing the Blessed Onesome way off, said this: ‘Stay there, you shaveling, stay there youwretched monk, stay there you outcast.’ When he spoke thus theBlessed One said to the brahmin: ‘Do you know, brahmin, who anoutcast is and what the conditions are that make an outcast?’ No,indeed, Venerable Gotama, I do not know who an outcast is nor theconditions that make an outcast. It is good if Venerable Gotama wereto explain the Dhamma to me so that I may know who an outcast isand what the conditions are that make an outcast.’

2

1

Sn. p. 21. Also known as

aggikabhāradvāja sutta.

2 The abusive terms used by the brahmin and the respectful address that follows need aword of explanation. The brahmin had just prepared his offering to the great Brahma, hisGod, when his eyes fell on Buddha. To the brahmin the sight of a

sama!a, a shaven-headed recluse, was an unlucky sign. Hence he burst into angry words. The Buddha,however, was unruffled and spoke to him quietly in words of soft cadence. The brahminapparently was ashamed, and repenting of his folly, addressed the Buddha courteously.Com. It is interesting to note the Buddha’s stress on anger and hatred in his very firststanza.

104

‘Listen then, brahmin, and pay attention, I will speak:

Yes, Venerable Sir, replied the brahmin.

1. Whosoever is angry, harbours hatred, and is reluctant to speak wellof others (discredits the good of others), perverted in views, deceitful— know him as an outcast.

2. Whosoever in this world kills living beings, once born or twiceborn

1, in whom there is no sympathy for living beings — know him asan outcast.

3. Whosoever destroys and besieges villages and hamlets and becomesnotorious as an oppressor — know him as an outcast.

4. Be it in the village, or in the forest, whosoever steals what belongsto others, what is not given to him — know him as an outcast.

5. Whosoever having actually incurred a debt runs away when he ispressed to pay, saying, ‘I owe no debt to you’ — know him as anoutcast.

6. Whosoever coveting anything, kills a person going along the road,and grabs whatever that person has — know him as an outcast.

7. He who for his own sake or for the sake of others or for the sake ofwealth, utters lies when questioned as a witness — know him as anoutcast.

1

dvija%, birds; see Sutta 18, comment 10.

105

8. Whosoever by force or with consent associates with the wives ofrelatives or friends — know him as an outcast.

9. Whosoever being wealthy supports not his mother and father whohave grown old — know him as an outcast.

10. Whosoever strikes and annoys by (harsh) speech, mother, father,brother, sister or mother-in-law or father-in-law — know him as anoutcast.

11. Whosoever when questioned about what is good, says what isdetrimental, and talks in an evasive manner — know him as anoutcast.

12. Whosoever having committed an evil deed, wishes that it may notbe known to others, and commits evil in secret — know him as anoutcast.

13. Whosoever having gone to another’s house, and partaken ofchoice food, does not honour that host by offering food when herepays the visit — know him as an outcast.

14. Whosoever deceives by uttering lies, a brahmin or an ascetic, orany other mendicant — know him as an outcast.

15. Whosoever when a brahmin or ascetic appears during mealtimeangers him by harsh speech, and does not offer him (any alms) —know him as an outcast.

106

16. Whosoever in this world, shrouded in ignorance, speaks harshwords (

asatam) or falsehood

1 expecting to gain something — knowhim as an outcast.

17. Whosoever debased by his pride, exalts himself and belittles other— know him as an outcast.

18. Whosoever is given to anger, is miserly, has base desires, and isselfish, deceitful, shameless and fearless (in doing evil) — know himas an outcast.

19. Whosoever reviles the Enlightened One (the Buddha), or a discipleof the Buddha, recluse or a householder — know him as an outcast.

20. Whosoever not being an Arahant, a Consummate One, pretends tobe so, is a thief in the whole universe — he is the lowest of outcasts.

21. Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a brahmin. Bydeed one becomes an outcast, by deed one becomes a brahmin.

22. Know ye by the example I now cite (the fact that by birth one isnot an outcast). There was an outcast’s son, Sopaka, who becameknown as Matanga.

23. This Matanga attained the highest fame so difficult to gain. Manywere the warriors (

kshatriyas) and brahmins who went to attend onhim.

1

asanta%tipi pā0ho, SnA.

107

24. Mounting the celestial chariot (the Noble Eightfold path, anddriving) along the passion-free high road, (Sopaka, now a monk),reached the Brahma realm having given up sense desires.

25. His (lowly) birth did not prevent him from being reborn in theBrahma realm. There are brahmins born in the family of preceptors,kinsmen of (veda) hymns.

26. They are often seen committing evil deeds. In this life itself theyare despised, in the next they are born in an evil state of existence.High birth does not prevent them from falling into a woeful state, orfrom censure.

27. Not by birth is one an outcast; not by birth is one a brahmin. Bydeed one becomes an outcast, by deed one becomes an brahmin.

When the Buddha had thus spoken, the Brahmin Aggikabharadvajasaid to the Blessed One: ‘Excellent, O Venerable Gotama, excellent!Just as, O Venerable Gotama, a man were to set upright what had beenoverturned, or were to reveal what had been hidden, or were to pointthe way to one who had gone astray, or were to hold an oil lamp in thedark so that those with eyes may see things, even so in many ways hasthe Venerable Gotama expounded the Dhamma, the doctrine. I takerefuge in the Venerable Gotama, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, theOrder. May the Venerable Gotama accept me as a lay follower whohas taken refuge from this day onwards while life lasts.’

108

23

Discourse On The Analysis Of The Truths(

Saccavibha)ga sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living in the Deer Park atIsipatana (the Resort of Saints) near Varanasi (Benares). Then headdressed the monks saying: ‘O Monks’. ‘Venerable Sir’, repliedthose monks in assent to the Blessed One. Thereupon he said:

‘The matchless Wheel of Dhamma set in motion by the Tathagata

2, theConsummate One, the supremely Enlightened One, in the Deer Park atIsipatana near Varanasi, cannot be set in motion by a recluse orbrahmana or Deva or Mara or Brahma or by anyone in the world. Thatis to say, it was a proclamation of the Four Noble Truths, by way ofteaching, laying down, establishing, opening up, analysing andelucidating them.

Of what four: It was a proclamation of the Noble Truth of suffering(

dukkha), by way of teaching

… (as before) and elucidating it; of theNoble Truth of the arising (cause) of suffering

… of the Noble Truth ofthe cessation of suffering

… of the Noble Truth of the Path leading tothe cessation of suffering. This matchless Wheel of Dhamma, monks,set in motion by the Tathagata, the Consummate One, the supremelyEnlightened One, in the Deer Park at Isipatana near Varanasi, cannotbe set in motion by a recluse

… or by anyone in the world. That is to

1

M. 141.

2 See Sutta 17, comment 3.

109

say, it was a proclamation of the Four Noble Truths, by way ofteaching, laying down, establishing, opening up, analysing andelucidating them.’

‘Monks, follow Sariputta and Moggallana; associate with Sariputtaand Moggallana. Wise monks do help (materially and spiritually)those who live the holy life. Monks, Sariputta is like unto a mother,Moggallana is like unto a foster-mother to a child. Sariputta, monks,trains (beings) in the path

1

of stream-attainment. Moggallana in thehighest goal (arahantship)

2. Sariputta, monks, is able to proclaim,teach, lay down, establish, open up, analyse and elucidate the FourNoble Truths.’

This the Blessed One said, and having said so, the Welcome Being(

suggata)

3 rose from his seat and entered (his) abode. Not long afterthe Blessed One had departed, the Venerable Sariputta addressed themonks, saying: ‘Reverend friends’. ‘Your reverence’, the monksreplied the Venerable Sariputta in assent.

This the Venerable Sariputta said:

‘Your reverence, the matchless Wheel of Dhamma set in motion bythe Tathagata, the Consummate One, the supremely Enlightened One,in the Deer Park, at Isipatana near Varanasi, cannot be set in motionby a recluse or brahmana

… (as before) in the world. That is to say, it

1 Literally ‘fruit’, ‘

sotāpatti phale’.

2 To train in the path of stream-attainment is more difficult than to train in the path ofarahantship for the reason that in the former case one has to deal with undeveloped beings,and in the latter case with those who are already developed, and who are, by virtue of theirdevelopment, not destined to fall back.

3 This is another epithet of the Buddha.

110

was a proclamation of the Four Noble Truths, by way of teaching,laying down, establishing, opening up, analysing and elucidatingthem.

Of what four? It was a proclamation of the Noble Truth of suffering(

dukkha) by way of teaching

… elucidating it; of the Noble Truth ofthe arising of suffering

… of the Noble Truth of the cessation ofsuffering

… of the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the cessation ofsuffering.

What, your reverence, is the Noble Truth of suffering? Birth issuffering; ageing is suffering; death is suffering; grief, lamentation,bodily pain, mental pain and despair are suffering; not getting whatone desires, that too is suffering: In brief the five aggregates subject tograsping are suffering.

What is birth? It is the birth of beings in the various classes (planes) ofbeings; the production, their conception, coming into existence (re-birth), the appearance of the aggregates, acquiring of the sense-bases.This is called birth.

What is ageing? It is the ageing of beings in the various classes ofbeings, their decay, broken teeth, graying hair, wrinkled skin, thedwindling of the life-span, the wearing out of the sense-organs. This iscalled ageing.

What is death? It is the passing away of beings in the various classesof beings; the falling away, the breaking up, the disappearance, thedeath, making end of life, the breaking up of the aggregates, the layingdown of the body. This is called death.

111

What is grief? It is the grief, sorrow, sorrowfulness, the state of beingsorry, inward sorrow, inward intense sorrow visited by some calamityor other, smitten by some kind of ill or other. This is called grief.

What is lamentation? It is the crying, the wailing, the act of crying, theact of wailing, the state of crying, the state of wailing of one visited bysome calamity or other, smitten by some kind of ill or other. This iscalled lamentation.

What is suffering? It is bodily suffering, bodily unpleasantness, thepainful and unpleasant feeling produced by bodily contact. This iscalled suffering.

What is misery? It is mental suffering, unpleasantness, the painful andunpleasant feeling produced by mental contact. This is called misery.

What is despair? It is despondency, despair, the state of despondency,the state of despair of one visited by some calamity or other. This iscalled despair.

What is meant by not getting what one desires, that too is suffering?To beings subject to birth there comes desire: “O might we not besubject to birth, and birth not come to us.” But this cannot be attainedby mere desiring. So not getting what one desires, that too, issuffering. To beings subject to ageing there comes the desire: “Omight we not be subject to ageing, and ageing not come to us

…” (asbefore). To beings subject to disease there comes the desire: “O mightwe not be subject to disease and disease not come to us

…” To beingssubject to death there comes the desire: “O might we not be subject todeath and death not come to us

…” To beings subject to sorrow,lamentation, suffering, misery and despair there comes the desire: “O

112

might we not be subject to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, misery anddespair, and sorrow, lamentation, suffering, misery and despair notcome to us.” But this cannot be attained by merely desiring. So notgetting what one desires that too is suffering.

What, in brief, are the five aggregates subject to grasping that aresuffering? These are the aggregate of matter subject to grasping, theaggregate of feeling

…, the aggregate of perception

…, the aggregateof mental (volitional) formations

…, the aggregate of consciousnesssubject to grasping. These are called, in brief, the five aggregatessubject to grasping that are suffering. This is called the Noble Truth ofsuffering.

What is the Noble Truth of the arising of suffering? It is this cravingwhich produces re-becoming (re-birth) accompanied by passionategreed, and finding delight now here now there, namely the craving forsense pleasures, craving for existence and craving for non-existence(self-annihilation). This is called the Noble Truth of the arising ofsuffering.

What is the Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering? It is thecomplete cessation of that very craving, giving it up, relinquishing it,liberating oneself from it, and detaching oneself from it. This is calledthe Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering.

And what is the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the cessation ofsuffering? It is this Noble Eightfold Path itself, namely: rightunderstanding, right thought, right speech, right action, rightlivelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

113

What is right understanding? It is this knowledge of suffering,knowledge of the arising of suffering, knowledge of the cessation ofsuffering, knowledge of the path leading to the cessation of suffering— this is called right understanding.

What is right thought? Thought of renunciation, thought of goodwill,thought of not harming — this is called right thought.

What is right speech? Abstention from false speech, abstention fromtale-bearing, abstention from harsh (abusive) speech, abstention fromidle chatter (gossip), this is called right speech.

What is right action? Abstention from killing, abstention fromstealing, abstention from illicit sexual indulgence, this is called rightaction.

What is right livelihood? Herein (in this dispensation) the ariyandisciple avoiding wrong livelihood, makes his living by rightlivelihood, this is called right livelihood.

What is right effort? Herein a monk puts forth will, strives, stirs upenergy, strengthens his mind, exerts himself to prevent the arising ofevil, of unwholesome thoughts that have not yet arisen; puts forthwill

… (as before) to banish the evil, unwholesome thoughts that havealready arisen; puts forth will

… to develop wholesome thoughts thathave not yet arisen; and puts forth will, strives, stirs up energy,strengthens his mind, exerts himself to maintain, to preserve, increase,to bring them to maturity, development, and to complete thewholesome thoughts that have arisen. This is called right effort.

114

What is right mindfulness? Herein a monk lives practicing bodycontemplation on the body, ardent, clearly comprehending andmindful (of it), having overcome covetousness and dejectionconcerning the world (of the body).

He lives practicing feeling-contemplation on the feelings, ardent,clearly comprehending and mindful (of it) having overcomecovetousness and dejection concerning the world (of feelings).

He lives practicing mind-contemplation on the mind, ardent, clearlycomprehending and mindful (of it) having overcome covetousness anddejection concerning the world (of the mind).

He lives practicing mind-object contemplation on the mind objects,ardent, clearly comprehending and mindful (of it) having overcomecovetousness and dejection concerning the world (of mental objects).This is called right mindfulness.

And what is right concentration? Herein a monk aloof from sensedesires, aloof from unwholesome thoughts, attains to and abides in thefirst meditative absorption (

jhana) which is detachment-born andaccompanied by applied thought, sustained thought, joy and bliss.

By allaying applied and sustained thought he attains to, and abides inthe second

jhana which is inner tranquility, which is unification (ofthe mind), devoid of applied and sustained thought, and which has joyand bliss.

By detachment from joy he dwells in equanimity, mindful and withclear comprehension and enjoys bliss in body, and attains to and

115

abides in the third

jhana which the noble ones (ariyas) call: “Dwellingin equanimity, mindfulness and bliss”.

By giving up of bliss and suffering, by the disappearance already ofjoy and sorrow, he attains to, and abides in the fourth

jhana, which isneither suffering nor bliss, and which is the purity of equanimity-mindfulness. This is called right concentration.

This is called the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the cessation ofsuffering.’

‘Your reverence, the matchless Wheel of Dhamma set in motion bythe Tathagata, the Consumate One, the supremely Enlightened One, inthe Deer Park, at Isipatana near Varanasi, cannot be set in motion by arecluse or brahmana or deva or Brahma or by anyone in the world.That is to say, it was a proclamation of the Four Noble Truths, by wayof teaching, laying down, establishing, opening up, analysing andelucidating them.’

This the Venerable Sariputta said. Those monks glad at heart rejoicedat the words of the Venerable Sariputta.

116

24

Discourse On Atanatiya

(

Ā0anātiya sutta)

1

Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living on the Vulture’s Peaknear Rajagaha (Rajagir).

Then four great kings

2 having placed a guard over the four quarters,with a large army of Yakkhas, of Gandhabbas, of Kumbhandas, ofNagas; having placed troops; having placed a barricade of soldiers onfour sides, came to the presence of the Blessed One, when the nightwas far advanced, illuminating the entire Vulture’s Peak with theirsurpassing radiance, saluted the Blessed One and sat on one side.From among the (attendant) Yakkhas, some saluted the Blessed One,and sat on one side; some exchanged greetings with the Blessed Oneconversing in a friendly and courteous manner, and sat on one side;some saluted him with clasped hands, and sat on one side; someannounced their name and lineage, and sat on one side; some sat onone side in silence.

Then the great King Vessavana (Skt. Vaisravana

3), who was seated onone side, said to the Blessed One:

‘Venerable Sir (bhante), there are eminent Yakkhas who are notpleased with the Blessed One, there are also eminent Yakkhas pleased

1

D. 32

2 They are,

Dhatara00ha, Virūpakkha and

Vessava!a presiding over the four quarters in thecelestial regions.

3

Vessava!a, King of the Northern quarter, according to the Commentary was familiar withthe Buddha, expert in conversation and well-disciplined, and thus he became thespokesman,

Kuvera is another name for

Vessava!a, see above p. 75, stanza 27.

117

with the Blessed One. There are Yakkhas of middle rank who are notpleased with the Blessed One, and there are those who are pleasedwith the Blessed One. There are Yakkhas of inferior rank who are notpleased with the Blessed One, and there are those who are pleasedwith the Blessed One. The Yakkhas, bhante, as a rule, are not pleasedwith the Blessed One. What is the reason for this?’

‘Well, the Blessed One teaches the Dhamma to establish abstentionfrom killing, from stealing, from sexual misconduct, from falsespeech, and from liquor that causes intoxication and negligence. Tothem such teaching is unpleasant and unpalatable.’

‘Surely bhante, there are disciples of the Blessed One. They frequentthe remote recesses of forest and woodland wilderness where there isno sound, no tumult, where breezes are void of human contact, andsuitable for man’s seclusion and quiet contemplation. There areeminent Yakkhas who haunt these forests, who have no faith in theword of the Blessed One.

Bhante, may the Blessed One learn the Atanata

1 protection so that thedispleased Yakkhas may be pleased, so that the monks and nuns,laymen and laywomen, may be at ease, guarded, protected andunharmed.’

1 According to

Dīghanikāya00hakathā0īkā, (vol. iii p. 194), King Vessavana has a town by the name of

Ā

0ānā0a, cf. below stanza 39, where the four kings assembled and recited this Paritta which speaks of the

virtues of the seven Buddhas:

Vipassi,

Sikhi,

Vessabhu,

Kakusanda,

Konagama,

Kassapa,

Gotama.

They approached the Buddha with the intention of obtaining his approval in which event, they felt, that

this

Paritta will attain a revered position: ‘

satthu kathite ima% paritta% garu bhavissatītipi āha, Com.

Learn,

ugganhātha: There is nothing for the Buddha to learn afresh. As the Commentary says it is to

create an opportunity for the Buddha to listen to the discourse, ‘

Ima% paritta% sāvetu% okāsa% karonto

evamāha’, Com.

118

The Blessed One gave consent by his silence. Then the great KingVessavana, knowing that the Blessed One has consented recited theAtanatiya protection:

1. Homage to

Vipassi (the Buddha) possessed of the eye (of wisdom)and splendour. Homage to

Sikhi (the Buddha) compassionate towardsall beings.

2. Homage to

Vessabhu (the Buddha) free from all defilements andpossessed of ascetic energy. Homage to

Kakusanda (the Buddha), theconqueror of (the five-fold) host of Mara.

3. Homage to

Konagamana (the Buddha) who has shed alldefilements, and had lived the holy life. Homage to

Kassapa (theBuddha) who is fully freed from all defilements.

4. Homage to

Angirasa (the Buddha

Gotama), the son of the Sakyas,who is full of radiance, and who proclaimed the Dhamma that dispelsall suffering.

5. Those in the world, who have extinguished (the flames of passion),and have perceived through insight (meditation), things as they reallyare, they never slander anyone; they are mighty men who are freefrom fear.

6. Gotama (the Buddha) dear to gods and men, endowed withknowledge and virtue

1, mighty and fearless, all do homage to him(homage be to him).

1

Vijjā-cara!a, literally science and conduct.

119

7-8. When the resplendent sun — offspring of Aditi — with its fullorb, arises, then the night ceases, and it is called the day. The directionfrom which the sun rises (is the East). There exists the ocean deep andvast.

9. This — a spreading sheet of water — they know as the ocean.Where there is East (to the East of Mount Meru) they say that quarteris East.

10. Custodian of this quarter is a great king named Dhatarattha whohas a retinue of attendants, and is sovereign lord of the Gandhabbas.

11. Attended by Ghandhabbas he enjoys their song and dance. Manyare his (Datharatta’s) sons, all of one name, so have I heard.

12-13. Eighty and ten and one are they, Inda their name, and mightyare they. They too, beholding the Buddha — Kinsman of the sun,mighty and fearless — salute him from afar: “Homage to thee, who artunique among mankind; glory to thee, the noblest among men.”

1

14-15. As by thy omniscience

2, thou hast looked on (mankind with aknowing eye), even the non-humans pay reverence to thee. This wehave often heard. We, therefore, request the Yakkhas to pay homageto Gotama, the Conqueror (the Buddha). They too say: “Wereverence, Gotama, the Conqueror, we reverence Gotama who isendowed with knowledge and virtue.”

1 From the 13th stanza I have adopted the method of numbering the stanzas in consecutiveorder.

2

Kusalena, an unusual phrase: ‘omniscience’, ‘pure wisdom’ sublime wisdom, Com.

120

16-18. The direction from where the petas (corpses), backbiters,murderers, the fierce brigands, and the deceitful are removed, is thedirection (to the right of Mount Meru), and is called the quarter of theSouth. The custodian of this quarter is a great king named Virulhawho has a retinue of attendants, and is the sovereign lord ofKumbhandas. Attended by the Kumbhandas he enjoys their song anddance.

19. Many are his (Virulha’s) sons, all of one name, so have I heard.Eighty and ten and one are they,

Inda their names, and mighty arethey.

20. They too, beholding the Buddha — Kinsman of the sun, mightyand fearless — salute him from afar: “Homage to thee, who art uniqueamong mankind; glory to thee, the highest among men.”

21-22. As by thy omniscience, thou hast looked on (mankind with aknowing eye), even the non-humans pay reverence to thee. This wehave often heard. We, therefore, request the Yakkhas to pay homageto Gotama, the Conqueror (the Buddha). They too say: “Wereverence, Gotama, the Conqueror, we reverence Gotama who isendowed with knowledge and virtue.”

23-24. When the resplendent sun — offspring of Aditi — with its fullorb, sets, then the day ceases, and it is called night. The directionwhere the sun sets (is the West). There exists the ocean deep and vast.

25. This — a spreading sheet of water — they know as the ocean.Where there is West (to the West of Mount Meru) they say thatquarter is West.

121

26. Custodians of this quarter is a great king named

Virupakkha whohas a retinue of attendants, and is sovereign lord of the Nagas.

27. Attended by Nagas he enjoys their song and dance. Many are his(Virupakkha’s) sons, all of one name, so have I heard.

28-29. Eighty and ten and one are they, Inda their name, and mightyare they. They too, beholding the Buddha — Kinsman of the sun,mighty and fearless — salute him from afar: “Homage to thee, who artunique among mankind; glory to thee, the noblest among men.”

30-31. As by thy omniscience, thou hast looked on (mankind with aknowing eye), even the non-humans pay reverence to thee. This wehave often heard. We, therefore, request the Yakkhas to pay homageto Gotama, the Conqueror (the Buddha). They too say: “Wereverence, Gotama, the Conqueror, we reverence Gotama who isendowed with knowledge and virtue.”

32. Where lies delightful Uttarakuru (the Northern continent), wheretowers beautiful Mount Meru, there are born men who are selfless andunattached.

33. They neither sow the seed nor use

1 the plough. Spontaneouslygrown corn is there for them to enjoy.

34. The rice, purged of the red powder and of husk, clean and sweet-scented, is boiled in golden vessels; it is this that they partake of.

35. They make of cows a single-seated mount (like mounting on horseback)

2, and ride about from place to place.

1

Na pinīyanti, literally they do not carry the plough.

2

Ta% pi00hi% abhiruyha mounting on the back, Com.

122

36-37. They make use of women and men, girls and boys as vehicles,and travel from place to place in them.

38. Mounting on vehicles (on elephants and horses) they (the Yakkhasof King Vessavana) travel in every direction.

39. This king who has a retinue of attendants, is possessed ofelephants and horses on which he rides. He also has celestial chariots,palaces and palanquins. He has cities well built in the celestialregions.

Their names are

Atanata, Kusinata, Parakusinata, Natapuriya,

Parakusitanata. To the North, the city of Kapilavata, to the South

1

Janogha, and cities named Navanavati, Ambara-ambaravati and thekingdom of Alakamanda. Happy one (addressing the Buddha), thisKuvera (another name for Vessavana) has a kingdom named Visna,therefore, the great king Kuvera is called Vessavana. There areYakkhas (of this king) who hold investigations and make themknown. They are Tatola, Tattala, Tatotala, Ojasi, Tejasi, Tatojasi,Suro, Raja (Sura-raja) Arittho, Nemi (Arittha-nemi). There (in Visanakingdom) lies the lake Dharani whence rain-clouds (drawing water)pour them forth. And there is also the hall named Bhagalavati wherethe Yakkhas assemble.

40. There (round about the hall) are trees bearing perpetual fruit. (Onthese trees) there are multitudes of birds. There also is heard the cry ofpeacocks and herons, and the melodious song of kokilas (the Indiancuckoo).

1

Etassa aparabhāge, Com.

123

41. There (near the lake) the cry of the birds, who call ‘Live ye! Liveye!’ (‘

jivamjivaka’) is heard. The bird

Otthavacittaka (‘O lift yourhearts!’), the jungle fowls, the crabs and the Pokkharasataka birdsroam the woods.

42. There the cry of the parot, the myna-birds and the dandamanavakabirds is heard. And Kuvera’s lotus-lake ever lies in her beauty in allseasons.

43-44. That direction (to the North of Mount Meru) is called bypeople the quarter of the North. The custodian of this quarter is a greatking named Kuvera who has a retinue of attendants, and is sovereignlord of the Yakkhas. Attended by the Yakkhas he enjoys their songsand dance.

45. Many are his (Kuvera’s) sons, all of one name, so have I heard.Eighty and ten and one are they, Inda their names, and mighty arethey.

46. They too, beholding the Buddha, kinsman of the sun, mighty andfearless, salute him from afar: “Homage to thee, who art uniqueamong mankind! Glory to thee, the noblest among men.”

47-48. As by thy pure omniscience thou hast looked on (mankind);even the non-humans pay reverence to thee, this we have heard. We,therefore, request the Yakkhas to pay homage to Gotama, theConqueror (the Buddha). They, too, say, “We reverence Gotama, theConqueror, we reverence Gotama who is endowed with knowledgeand virtue”.

‘Happy One, this is the Atanata protection whereby both the monksand nuns, laymen and laywomen may live at ease, guarded, protectedand unharmed.

124

If any monk or nun, layman or laywoman learns by heart this Atanataprotection, and be word-perfect in repeating it, and if any non-humanmale or female Yakkha, youth or maiden Yakkha, Yakkha Minister orany Yakkha, or Yakkha attendant; male or female Gandhabba

… (asbefore); male or female Kumbhanda

… male or female Naga

… wereto walk with him or her, or stand or sit or lie down with him or herwith malevolent intent, such a non-human, Happy One, will not obtainhospitality from any town or township, will not obtain a place todwell, nor could live in the Kingdom of Alakamanda. He will not beable to attend the meetings of the Yakkhas. Further he would not beaccepted or given in marriage, he would be reproached (by castingremarks on his deformed teeth or eyes or any part of the body), andthe non-humans would put an empty bowl over his head and split it(head) in seven pieces.

Happy One, there are non-humans who are fierce, violent, given toretaliation; those non-humans heed neither the (four) great kings, northeir ministers nor their attendants. They are called rebels against the(four) great kings. Even as in the kingdom of Magadha, the thievesheed neither the king of Magadha, nor the ministers, nor theirattendants, and are called rebels against the king of Magadha, so thereare non-humans who are fierce

… (as before). They are called rebelsagainst the (four) great kings.

Happy One, if any non-human — male or female Yakkha, youth ormaiden Yakkha, yakkha minister or any Yakkha, or Yakkha attendant;male or female Gandhabba

… (as before); male or femaleKumbhanda

… male or female Naga

… were to walk with a monk ornun, or a layman or laywoman, or stand, or sit, or lie down with himor her with malevolent intent, then should (the molested one) inform,cry aloud and shout to those Yakkhas, to the mighty Yakkhas, their

125

commanders and chief commanders saying: “This Yakkha is seizingme, takes possession of me, is harassing me, assailing me, is harmingme, harming me intensely and would not let me go!”

Who are the Yakkhas, mighty Yakkhas and commanders, and chiefcommanders (to whom such appeal should be made?)

49 Inda, Soma, and Varuna,Bh

āradv

āja, Paj

āpati,Candana, K

āmase

��ha too,Kinnugha

�u, Nigaha

�u,

50 Pan

āda, Opama

ñña too,Devas

ūta and M

ātali,Cittasena and Gandhabba,Nala, R

āja, Janesabha,

51 S

āt

āgira, Hemavata,Pu

aka, Karatiya, Gula,S

īvaka, Mucalinda too,Vessamitta, Yugandhara,

52 Gop

āla, Suppagedha too,Hiri, Netti and Mandiya,Pa

ñc

ālaca

�a,

Ālavaka,Pajjunna, Sumana, Sumukha, Dad

īmukkha,With these Serisakka.

These are the Yakkhas, mighty Yakkhas, the commanders, the chiefcommanders to whom (the molested one) should inform, cry aloudand shout saying: “This Yakkha is seizing me, takes possession of me,is harassing me, assailing me, is harming me, and harming meintensely, and this Yakkha would not let me go!”

126

This, Happy One, is the Atanata protection whereby monks and nuns,laymen and laywomen may live at ease, guarded, protected andunharmed.

Happy One, we now take our leave of you; for we have many duties toattend to (so said the four Great Kings).’

‘Great Kings, it is time for your departure’ (replied the Buddha).

The four great kings arose from their seats, and saluting the BlessedOne, circled round him on his right side, and there and then vanished.From among the (attendant) Yakkhas some arose from their seats, andsaluted the Blessed One, circled round him on his right side, and thereand then vanished; some exchanged greetings with the Blessed Oneconversing in a friendly and courteous manner, and there and thenvanished; some saluted the Blessed One with clasped hands, and thereand then vanished; some announced their name and lineage, and thereand then vanished; some in silence there and then vanished.

When the night had passed the Blessed One addressed the monks:(The Buddha related to the monks word for word what has been saidby the great King Vessavana, see above.) ‘Learn by heart, monks, theAtanata protection, constantly make use of it, bear it in mind. ThisAtanata protection, monks, pertains to your welfare, and by virtue ofit, monks and nuns, laymen and laywomen may live at ease, guarded,protected and unharmed.’

This the Blessed One said. Those monks glad at heart rejoiced at thewords of the Blessed One.

Here Ends The Book Of Protection

127

Appendix

Invitation

(in Sinhala script)

1

_____________

1 For translation see p. 27

128

Protective Discourse to Angulimala(

Angulimāla Paritta)

(The Venerable Angulimala while on his rounds for alms in Savatthisaw a woman in travail. After his meal he approached the Buddha andtold him what he had seen. Thereupon the master taught him thisparitta. He then went to the presence of the suffering sister, sat on aseat separated from her by a screen, and made this asseveration of theTruth. Instantly she gave birth to the child with great ease. Theefficacy of the

Angulimala paritta persists to this day.

This sutta is not included in the ‘Book of Protection’. The words,uttered by the Buddha by way of protection, and learnt by theVenerable Angulimala, are found in the

Angulimala sutta (

Majjhima

nikaya, sutta no. 86).

__________________________________

‘The very water that washed the seat of him who recited this parittahas put an end to all danger. At that very moment this paritta effecteda safe delivery of the infant.’

‘Now we shall recite that very efficacious paritta uttered by theProtector of the world (Buddha) which holds good for an aeon.’

1

“Since I was born of Aryan birth

2, O sister, I am not aware of havingintentionally deprived any living being of his life. By this asseverationof Truth may you be well! May thy unborn child be well!”

1 Majjhima Com.

2 i.e. since Angulim

āla joined the

Sangha, the Order.

129

Invitation to Deities

(

Devārādhanā)

May devas (deities) of all world systems assemble here, and listen tothat sublime Dhamma of the Great Sage (Buddha) which confers thebliss of heaven and deliverance (Nibbana).

Good friends, now is time for listening to the Dhamma.-----------

At the end of the recital of each discourse the reciters bless thelisteners thus:

By the asseveration of this truth may you ever be well.

By the asseveration of this truth may you be free from illness.

By the asseveration of this truth may all blessings be upon you.

By the (protective) power of all Buddhas, Pacceka Buddhas and allArahants I secure my (your) protection in every way.

130

(The preceding stanza is recited at the moment the thread is being tiedround the arm.)

May all misfortunes be warded off, may all ailments cease; may nocalamities befall you; may you live long in peace.

May all blessings be upon you. May all devas (deities) protect you.By the protective power of all the

Buddhasmay safety ever be yours.

By the protective power of all the

Dhammamay safety ever be yours.

By the protective power of all the

Sanghamay safety ever be yours.

131

By the power of this paritta (protection) may you be free from alldangers arising from malign influences of the planets, demons andspirits. May thy misfortunes vanish.

By the power of the

Buddha may all evil omens and untowardcircumstances, the ominous cry of birds, the malign conjunctions ofthe stars, and evil dreams be rendered nugatory.

132

By the power of the

Dhamma

… (as before) be rendered nugatory.By the power of the

Sangha

… (as before) be rendered nugatory.

May those beings who suffer be free from suffering.May those beings who are in fear be free from fear.May those beings who are in grief be free from grief.

May the rains fall in due season; may there be a rich harvest; may theworld prosper; may the ruler be righteous.

May beings, celestial and terrestrial, Devas and Nagas of mightypower, share this merit of ours. May they long protect theDispensation.

(For

sāsana% substitute

desana% (the Teaching) and

ma% para% (meand others).

133

May all beings share this merit which we have thus acquired. May itredound to their happiness.

Let this (merit) accrue to my relatives; may they be well and happy.

From the highest realm of existence to avici hell, whatever beings thatare born — those with form and the formless ones, those with orwithout consciousness — may they all be free from suffering! Maythey attain Nibbana!

By the power of the immense merit I have acquired by paying homageto the ‘Triple Gem’ (the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha) which iseminently worthy of reverence, may all dangers cease!

134

Notes

Āhāra, Food or nutriment is of four kinds: 1. ordinary material food(

kabalinkārāhāra); 2. contact (of sense organs with sense objects,

phassāhāra); 3. consciousness (

viññānāhāra); and 4. mental volition(

manasancetanāhāra). See

The Four Nutriments of Life byNyanaponika Thera. Wheel No. 105/106. Buddhist PublicationSociety, (BPS) Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Asubha, Non-attractiveness, foulness; (literally non-beautifulness).

Vedanā

, Feeling or sensation is of three kinds: pleasant, unpleasantand neutral feeling.

Panca-upādānakkhandha, The five aggregates subject to grasping:matter, feeling or sensation, perceptions, mental (volitional)formations, and consciousness.

Salāyatana

, The internal six-fold base: the five physical sense organs(eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and the mind base (vide

Dependent

Origination or

Pa0icca samuppāda, by Piyadassi Thera, WheelNo. 15, BPS).

Satta Bojjhanga, Seven Factors of Enlightenment: 1. Mindfulness,2. Investigation of the dhamma, 3. Energy, 4. Rapture or happiness,5. Calm, 6. Concentration and 7. Equanimity (vide

Seven Factors of

Enlightenment, by Piyadassi Thera, Wheel No. 1, BPS).

The Noble Eightfold Path: see Discourse on the Analysis of theTruths.

135

The four pairs of persons constitute the four kinds of aryan discipleswho have attained the four paths (or stages) and four fruits of sanctity(

magga and

phala). The four stages are:

sotāpatti (‘Stream Entry’)where self-illusion, doubt and ritualism are ended,

sakadāgāmi(‘Once-return’) where sensuality and ill will are weakened,

anagāmi(‘Non-return’) where sensuality and ill will are ended, and

arahattha(‘Arahantship’) where craving for form, craving for formlessphenomena, conceit, restlessness and ignorance are ended. (Ten bondsor fetters (

sanyojanas) that bind the mind to the cycle of rebirths are inPali:

sakkaya ditti,

vicikiccha,

silabbata-paramasa,

kama-raga,

vyapada,

rupa-raga,

arupa-raga,

mana,

uddhacca and

avijja,respectively. See

Maha-parinibbana Sutta,

D.16(http://world.std.com/~metta/canon/digha/dn16.html);

Three Cardinal

Discourses by Bhikkhu Nanamoli Thera, Wheel Publ. No.17.)

Navasattāvāsā, Nine abodes of beings: the abodes where beings suchas humans, animals, devas, ghosts, and brahmas are born, and therealms of the infinity of space, infifnity of consciousness, ofnothiness, and of neither perception and non-perception (see

Minor

Readings and Illustrator, by Bhikkha Nanamoli, Pali Text Society,London, p.92).

The ten attributes of an Arahant

, or

Asekha, one who has completedhis moral and spiritual training, i.e. the Consummate One: 1. RightUnderstanding, 2. Right Thought, 3. Right Speech, 4. Right Action,5. Right Livelihood, 6. Right Effort, 7. Right Mindfulness, 8. RightConcentration, 9. Right Knowledge (

Sammāñā!a), 10. RightDeliverance

(Sammā vimutti) which is the fruit of Arahantship.

136

Abbreviations

A. Books

All references to Pali texts are to the editions of the PTS.

A: Anguttara-nik

āya (number of the volume and page marked against).

D: D

īgha-nik

āya (number of the sutta marked against).

DA: D

īgha-nik

āya

��hakath

ā, i.e. Suma

ñgalavil

āsin

ī.

Khp: Khuddaka-p

ā�ha.

KhpA: Khuddaka-p

ā�ha A

��hakath

ā, i.e. Paramatthajotik

ā.

M: Majjhima-nik

āya (number of the sutta marked against).

MA: Majjhima-nik

āya

��hakath

ā, i.e. Papa

ñcas

ūdan

ī.

S: Sa

�yutta-nik

āya (number of the volume and page marked against).

Sn: Sutta-nip

āta.

SnA: Sutta-nip

āta

��hakath

ā, i.e. Paramatthajotik

ā II.

B. Terms

Com: Commentary.

Nik

āya: A collection of suttas in Pali.

n: Note.

Skt: Sanskrit.

Sutta: A sermon or discourse of the Buddha or his disciples recorded in the Canonical Texts.

138

An Abridged Version of the Bojjhanga Sutta

1-2-3. Seven are the factors of Enlightenment well expounded by theall-seeing Sage (the Buddha), cultivated and fully developed by him.

They are: Mindfulness, Investigation of the Dhamma, PerseveringEffort, Rapture, Calm, Concentration, Equanimity. They conduce toperfect understanding; to full realization and to Nibbana.

By the power of the truth of these words may you ever be well.

4-5. On one occasion the Buddha, the Protector, seeing that the TherasMoggallana and Kassapa were ill and in distress, declared the sevenFactors of Enlightenment hearing which they rejoiced and recoveredfrom the illness.


6-7. Once the King of the Dhamma (the Buddha) himself was afflictedby an illness. Cunda Thera with great compassion declared the Factorsof Enlightenment. Instantly the Buddha recovered from the illness.


8. Thus ceased the afflictions of the three great sages, who havingremoved the defilements by the Path, attained accomplishment in thenature (essence) of the Dhamma.


the book of protection (.pdf)

Documents